The Winchester Three
by insearchofcheez
Summary: A sis fic that was originally posted back in 2009 and taken down a couple of years ago to polish and revise. I'm now re-posting. This story follows Sam, Dean, and their younger sister Laney. Follows the show mostly, but with tons of original content. Lots of angst/fluff/big brotherly overprotectiveness, hurt/comfort. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Jesus Sammy, you smell like a freakin' sewer."

"Really Dean? You might want to take a whiff of yourself because you're not smelling so fresh either."

Sam and Dean Winchester had just defeated yet another big nasty, a Wendigo, that had led them on a chase deep into the woods and then into drainage ditch full of a whole other big nasty that they didn't even want to think about. In the end the Wendigo met its end and the Winchester boys managed to get out alive and in one piece.

"Yeah, maybe so," Dean responded, "but neither of us is setting foot in my baby with all this crap all over us." Crap, in the literal sense of the word. They were surrounded by cow pastures and he was pretty sure they'd taken a tumble into some cow manure.

Sam rolled his eyes at his big brother's back.

"I saw that," said Dean, knowing all too well how is brother would react. But his much revered Chevy Impala was his baby. Really not so much a car as it was an extension of himself.

Sam shook his head again in disbelief, "Dude, what the hell are we supposed to do then? We're stuck in the middle of nowhere in case you haven't noticed!" He gestured wildly with his hands. He was tired, hungry, wet, caked with God knows what, and so over it.

Dean stopped mid-stride in the middle of a rural Pennsylvania back road in the middle of freaking nowhere. It was getting dark too. He threw his hands up in defeat.

"Well, we're going to have to improvise," he grumbled.

Sam snorted. _Duh._

They walked the two miles back to the car without talking, the silence punctuated by Dean's occasional muttered curses. Sam couldn't help but smile at his brother's irritation.

Dean was thinking of ways to keep his baby clean and the fact that he was in desperate need of a scalding hot shower. When they finally approached the car Dean let out a grateful sigh. _Right where I left her._ He silently inspected her for any damage. There was no one around for miles, but one couldn't be too careful. He unlocked the trunk and pulled out all the old rags and towels he could find.

"Here," he said as he handed Sam a fistful of towels, "wipe off as much as you can, and lay one down on the seat." Sam rolled his eyes, but did as he was asked. He was annoyed, but he didn't have a death wish.

After a few minutes they were finally on their way. Sam stretched his long legs out in front of him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe he could get a quick nap in before they found civilization again. Dean started up the engine, smiling as his baby roared to life. _Man, it's always good get back behind the wheel again._

It was a good couple of hours before Dean found a decent place to stop for the night. He didn't think he was going to be able to take the trip for another minute. The foul smell had become overpowering and he'd rolled down all the windows to air out the car. It was also cold outside, despite it being May. All in all he was pretty damn miserable.

Through it all Sam hadn't even so much as blinked an eye. He'd knocked out a few minutes into the drive and hadn't stirred since. Dean looked over at him. _Poor kid must be exhausted._ He wasn't surprised. Ever since Jessica had been killed he'd been running on all cylinders. Maybe he thought the busier he kept himself, the less opportunity he had to really deal with her loss. Dean wasn't sure how he'd managed it for this long.

Dean got a room and found a parking spot right out front of the door. He elbowed Sam in the ribs.

"Nap time's over little brother. We're here."

"Where's here?" Sam asked, his voice groggy with sleep.

"We're a couple of hours outside of Philly," he answered. His stomach growled. _Mmm, a Philly Cheesesteak sounds really good right about now._ First things first though, "I call dibs on the shower!" he blurted out.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Sam grabbed his bag from the backseat and followed Dean into the room. It wasn't too bad. Two beds and a small kitchenette. It at least looked clean, which was more than could be said for some of the dives they'd stayed in.

Dean had already started the shower running before Sam had even closed the door. "Hurry up," said Sam, not wanting to spend another minute in his nasty clothes.

"Keep your panties on princess, I'll be as fast as I can," he called out from the shower.

Sam started stripping out his grimy clothes, rolling them up into a ball and tossing them into the trash can. _No use trying to save those._ He sat down in a chair, clad in his boxers, his feet tapping impatiently on the floor. He was about damn near ready to join Dean in the shower, when his brother finally stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"All yours sunshine."

Sam made a beeline for the bathroom. Dean chuckling as he shoved by him.

Dean quickly dressed. His stomach wasn't going to wait anymore. He stuck his head in and around the bathroom door. "Hey Sammy, I'm heading out to get some food, I'll be back soon," he called out.

"Yeah, alright, make it good man."

"Dude, no promises. I'm not sure that they'll have any of your hippie granola crap."

Sam stuck his hand out of the shower and flipped him the bird.

Dean laughed at him as he grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out the door.

Sam took a deep breath after he heard the door slam shut. He stood under stream of hot water, his muscles relaxing. It felt good to be clean finally. He was so exhausted he could barely hold a thought. And to him that wasn't a bad thing. After a short while the water started to turn cold and he reluctantly stepped out of the shower.

Dean wasn't back yet, so he sprawled out on the bed and turned on the television, flipping through channels until he settled on Court TV. He quickly grew impatient and got up and grabbed the laptop from his bag. Opening it up, he began looking for their next gig.

Before Sam could get too far into his research he heard someone at the door. He tensed up for a moment until he saw Dean walk in, several bags in his hands.

Dean frowned when he saw that Sam was on the computer. _Already looking for our next job._ He really thought the kid needed a break. Dean had always been one to keep busy, but he was worried about his little brother. They could at least use a day or two off.

"Here," said Dean, handing Sam a brown bag, "I did the best I could."

Sam opened the bag and pulled out a large salad, dressing on the side. It at least looked edible, if not entirely appetizing. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Dean sat at the small table next to the window and opened up his Styrofoam container, smiling at his bacon cheeseburger and fries. He reached over and grabbed the remote from Sam, snorting when he saw that the television was on Court TV. He flipped through the channels until he found one where a bunch of scantily clad women were running around on a beach somewhere. _Now that's what I'm talking about._

Sam shook his head at his brother. Oh, how the littlest things made him so happy. Sometimes, he really was such a child.

They ate in a comfortable silence, until Sam heard the buzzing of his cell phone vibrating on the motel dresser. "Crap," he muttered. He'd forgotten to turn his cell phone back on and check for messages. When he grabbed the phone and flipped it open he noticed three missed calls all from the same number and a voicemail. He didn't recognize the number, but he did recognize the area code, and there was only one person he knew it could be.

Dean noticed Sam's frown. "What? What is it?"

"Laney," Sam answered as he pressed the button to play the voicemail. As he listened his face went from curious to worried.

"What's wrong?" asked Dean, throwing down his cheeseburger and walking over to stand in front of him, his hand reached out to grab the phone, but Sam pushed it away.

Sam turned the speaker phone on and replayed the message, "Listen."

A young woman's voice came through the speaker. "Hi, my name is Kathleen. Uh, we met back when classes started. I'm Laney's resident advisor. I tried calling Laney's father a few times over the last week or so, but I haven't gotten any response." _No surprise there,_ thought Sam bitterly. "Anyway, I got this number from Laney's file, it said not to use it unless it was a real emergency, which I'm not sure it is an emergency but-

"Oh, Jesus lady get to the point!" yelled Dean at the phone.

"Shh," hissed Sam.

"Well, we're all worried about her, it seems she hasn't been in any of her classes in the last few weeks, and she seems off..." her voice trailed off before it picked up again, "anyway, if you can call me back at this number we can talk more. I'm not sure who else to try at this point. Thanks." The phone clicked off.

"That's it, we need to get on the road to Massachusetts, like now." Dean said as he paced about the room grabbing and throwing clothes into his bag.

Sam nodded in agreement. There would be no argument from him. "I'm going to try Lane's cell." Dean stopped what he was doing and waited for Sam to make the call.

Sam held his breath as her phone rang. _Come on, come on, answer the phone._ His eyes closed when he got her voicemail. When she got to the end of the greeting he spoke, "Hey Laney, its Sam, call me back as soon as you get this message, okay? Haven't heard from you in awhile and I'm just thinking about you, okay? Love you."

"Voicemail," said Sam, looking at Dean. His worried expression mirroring his own.

"Get your shit together Sammy, we're leaving right now."

Dean was halfway out the door.

"Dean, calm down a second," said Sam. He knew all too well that Dean was going to ride off half-cocked without knowing all the facts, without stopping to think that there might be a logical explanation to all of this. This _was_ their little sister, but if they stormed in guns drawn to save the day, and nothing was wrong, she was going to be pissed.

"Maybe she's just skipping school because she's mad at us…you know, we did miss her birthday. We promised to visit and it's been like 6 months now…maybe she's just acting out." Laney had turned 17 just over a month ago and they had promised to be there. Then their father, out of the blue, had sent them a sign of life and texted some coordinates that had them on a wild goose chase for the last month until they'd ended up tracking a Wendigo through Pennsylvania farmland. All that, and still no Dad.

Dean gave Sam a so-what look and started throwing Sam's stuff into his bag for him. "I don't care if she's having a temper tantrum or really bad case of PMS. We're going!" he exclaimed, shaking his head at his brother in disbelief.

Sam sighed, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling. "Let's call the resident advisor back and see what she can tell us," he said slowly as if speaking to a child.

Dean nodded his head okay. "Fine." He stood in the doorway, his body tensed as if ready for battle. It wasn't like Laney to be childish. He knew her too well. Hell, he'd pretty much raised her. His spidey senses were tingling. And he was pissed that his brother was trying to be so freaking logical.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief when he got a live person on the phone. He looked over at Dean. "Yeah, hi, is this Kathleen?"

Sam nodded his head and activated the speaker phone. "This is Laney Winchester's brother, Sam, and I've got Dean on the line too, I have you on speaker. We just got your message. What's going on?"

"I'm not really sure," she answered.

Dean gritted his teeth in frustration.

"She's just been acting strange," she continued.

Sam swallowed hard.

"Strange, like how?" demanded Dean.

"It's like she just dropped off the planet. She was pretty involved in activities around here and now she doesn't participate at all. She's been missing her classes, barely comes out her room, and when she does…she…well…she just looks terrible."

Dean ran his hands through his hair, "Damn" he muttered. It was killing him not being there and not knowing what was going on.

"Look," continued Kathleen after a short pause, "I've seen it before where the new students come in and at first their okay, but then the pressure of being here kicks in and they start missing home and sometimes they get really depressed, and they just can't handle it…but Laney just didn't really seem the type. I mean, I don't know her that well, but I just didn't that vibe from her."

"Is she there now? In her room?" asked Sam. Maybe he could get her on the phone and hear her voice. He'd be able to tell in an instant if something was really up.

"I don't know…I knocked on her door awhile ago and got no answer."

Sam sighed and shot his brother a worried glance.

"Well, we're on our way now," said Dean who started walking out the door, Sam following behind, "we'll be there in five or six hours…just call us if anything …if anything else happens."

"Yeah, sure."

"Oh and don't tell her we're coming," said Sam, ignoring Dean's confused look.

"Uh...okay."

"Thanks." Sam hung up the phone and got into the passenger seat of the Impala. He didn't want Laney tipped off to their arrival. He didn't know what was up, but whatever it was, it didn't seem like she wanted her brothers to know about it and he didn't want her to decide to take off.

Dean revved up the engine and peeled out the parking lot like a bat out of hell, a look of steely determination on his face; a look that Sam knew all too well. He was on a mission and nothing was going to stop him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I was so excited to see the reviews and PM's regarding this story. I didn't realize it was missed! Thanks for all who have been reading. I tried to respond to everyone. My hope is to post daily, barring real life getting in the way.**

 **FYI- Laney is 17, Sam is 23 and Dean is 27.**

Chapter 2

The drive to Massachusetts was tense; neither brother speaking a word for a long while. Dean turned up Metallica on the car radio in hopes of calming himself down. He was trying not freak out, but he couldn't help but grow more anxious the closer he got to her. Laney was his baby sister and he just felt it in his bones that something was wrong. If something happened to her - he didn't really want to go there - but they were Winchesters, which meant that chances were good something supernatural was at play. How could it not be? This was how their life went. It was the family business.

Sam stared out the window, lost in thought, feeling the waves of tension and worry emanating off of Dean. He knew he had to remain calm for everyone's sake. It wouldn't help for both of them to be overwrought. But he wondered why Laney hadn't called them for help. They had made her swear if someone so much as looked at her sideways, she was supposed to call them. He wanted to think that it was because she was pissed that they had broken their promise to visit her on her 17th birthday. But that's just not the kind of teenager she was.

God, he couldn't believe that she was 17 already. All the Winchester men always liked to joke that she was a middle aged woman trapped in a teenager's body. She was too damn smart for her own good, wise beyond her years, and too damn level headed to be a Winchester. But she was one, and she was the best of them- and he couldn't deal with losing her too. He'd already lost too much.

His throat tightened. He couldn't let his mind go there. He had to think positive thoughts. Laney was going to live a long and normal life. The one he clearly wasn't going to get to have.

"I knew this whole college thing was a bad idea," said Dean, suddenly breaking the silence, "We never should have let Dad send her off like that."

Sam heaved a deep sigh, "Dean, Dad didn't send her off anywhere. This is what she wanted."

"Yeah, right. I'm not so sure it was just her choice."

It seemed to Dean that Sam had forgotten that he'd been gone for three years off at Stanford and in that time Dean had gotten to know his sister better than anybody. They'd grown closer than ever and he liked to think that maybe he understood her in ways that Sam didn't; even if Sam was the touchy-feely one of the family. Even if he knew that Laney and Sam had secret late night phone calls all those years he was away at college.

"What makes you say that?" asked Sam, who had turned in his seat towards Dean.

"I don't know…it's just that she never really talked about college or the future much. This just came out of nowhere. I know that kid. I would have known if she was planning on running off."

"She didn't run off, Dean. She went to college. And it was a great opportunity for her," said Sam, flustered.

"She belongs with us," said Dean loudly, "Where we can protect her."

"She deserves to have her chance for a normal life -"

"What like you Sammy?" Dean interrupted, taking his eyes of the road to look at his brother, "That didn't work so well for you, did it?"

Dean felt immediately sorry when he saw Sam's face. _God, I'm such an ass._ That was below the belt.

"Sorry, it's just-

"It's okay," Sam said softly, "I know you're just freaked." _So am I._

Dean took a deep breath. "Listen, Sammy, we're Winchesters. We don't do normal. It's just not in the cards for us, you know?"

Sam smiled sadly. It sure did seem that way. Normal didn't seem to apply to their family, it probably never would. He had done his three years at Stanford, thinking he'd escaped the hunting life, a life he never wanted in the first place. And here he was smack dab in the middle of it again, involved in ways he never would have imagined in his wildest dreams. He just thought, had hoped, that his little sister wouldn't have to be a part of it. That if any of them could really get out, it would be her.

Dean broke in to his brother's thoughts. "It's not that I'm not proud of her, you know? I mean, she wins a full scholarship to M.I.T at the age of 16…dude, that's like a huge deal. She's like freaking Braniac." He smiled proudly.

And Laney _was_ a genius. She'd breezed through school; testing out grades, finally getting her high school diploma at 15. She had a freakish ability with computers and anything technological. She prided herself on being a hacker and one of the best at it. Her mind was a veritable walking library of the supernatural and otherworldly and she was a master at research. Her talents had proved more than useful to the Winchesters. Dad had never allowed her to hunt with them, making her stay behind, but she was still as much a hunter as they all were. She liked to call herself "Tech support."

"You guys are the muscles, and I'm the brains," she would say time and time again.

Dean's face grew serious again. "The thing is Sammy, is that it doesn't matter what she wants or what Dad wants for her, or what we want for her…this is the life we live…this is the life we know. It sucks balls but it's our life, and it's not safe for her to be on her own. That's just how it is, man. The sooner we accept that, the safer we'll all be." And really, Dean just wanted her by his side, where she'd been for 16 years, until she decided to go legit and go to college.

Sam nodded his head, sighing as he sat up straighter in his seat and pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'm going to try calling her again."

"Yeah, okay."

Sam dialed his sister's number, hoping that she would answer, but expecting that she wouldn't. His shoulders dropped in disappointment when his call went to voicemail. He decided against leaving another message.

"She's not answering."

Dean sighed, "Did it sound like anything was wrong to you the last time we talked to her?"

Sam nodded his head, "No, she sounded like her usual self to me." Although, she had secretly confessed to Sam that she was homesick. Which meant that she missed them, because the last thing they'd ever had was an actual "home". But he understood what she meant. All the years away from them, he had missed her and Dean, and his ache for them never diminished, no matter what the passage of time had been.

"I think she was disappointed that we didn't make it for our visit, but I didn't think she was pissed or anything," said Dean.

"It didn't seem that way," Sam agreed, although he didn't really believe that she would have said if she was. Laney was like Dean in that respect; she was never that open with her feelings. Where Dean used humor and his bad ass attitude to avoid revealing his real feelings, Laney used her books and computers and her logic to hide hers. He suspected though, that underneath all that she was a lot more sensitive than either one of them knew. Her 'nothing really bothers me' attitude was just a front. She had been raised by men after all.

"When was the last time we talked to her, like really talked to her, not just a check-in? A month?" asked Dean, interrupting Sam's thoughts.

He thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so," he answered thoughtfully. It dawned on him that really over the last 8 months their contact had been getting less and less. They always made sure to call her at the end of a hunt because she had made them promise they would and they were to call her whenever they heard from their father, but other than some brief calls and the occasional e-mail, and text messaging, they didn't know too much of what was going on her life.

"How did we left that happen?" asked Dean, shaking his head. He was feeling horribly guilty. He'd screwed up. His little sister was a priority, priority number 1 since the day she was born. Laney and Sam, taking care of them, was really his only true job, it came even before hunting. He'd let himself get so consumed with tracking down their father-who clearly didn't want to be found at the moment-that he'd lost touch with his baby sister. He'd missed her birthday. He'd promised to teach her how to drive, although he'd stopped short of promising to let her drive the Impala. He loved her, but he had his limits. He hoped that she was just throwing a temper tantrum. That he could deal with. But he knew that wasn't it. She had always been too freaking reasonable, even as a child. It just wasn't Laney's style. She'd have hacked the credit card companies and cut off all of his credit cards, or better yet, she would have hacked a police database and issued a phony warrant for his arrest if she really wanted to proved a point. She was a whiz at that kind of stuff.

"We're almost there Dean," said Sam, pointing to the sign off the highway, showing 80 miles to Cambridge, Mass. _We're going to get there and we're going to make everything right._

Dean put the pedal to the metal.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and messages. I'm having so much fun putting this out again. This chapter is short by my standards. After this one they get very long! Enjoy.**

Chapter 3

Dean made the six hour trip to Cambridge in four, and he managed not to get stopped by any law enforcement on the way, a fact that he felt like bragging about, even though the mood was anything but celebratory.

It was just before midnight on a Friday night. When they pulled in front of the large stone building where Laney's dorm was. There wasn't too much going on. Everyone seemed to be out on the town, except for some loud music coming from a few of the rooms. " _I guess even geeks have to party sometimes,"_ thought Dean. Try as he might, he couldn't imagine his sister at some kegger or frat party. She'd always been one to keep to herself, not that any of them really had a chance at a social life. They were each other's social life. She lived her life online; it was just easier that way. Safe and anonymous. Dean had always liked it that way, but he had to wonder if they'd been doing their sister a disservice by secluding her from the world. Maybe Sam was right, and this really might be what was right for her. She needed a chance to see the world, live a life, beyond her family.

Dean jerked to a sudden stop, barely putting the car in park before he jumped out of the car, Sam right behind him. They walked quickly up the five flights of stairs to Laney's room not wanting to wait for an elevator. If anyone thought they were suspicious, no one said a word. Then Dean remembered that they were in a coed dorm, something he had not been happy about at all. "I'm at school to master computer engineering, not make out with boys Dean-o," she had exclaimed when he wouldn't shut up about it.

They rounded the corner to her room. It was a single room at the far end of the hall, a bit of a ways from the other rooms. She had insisted on a single room saying that she hadn't quite felt ready for any roommates that weren't her brothers. She was socially awkward and not much interested in small talk...or people for that matter.

Sam and Dean bodies were both taut and on alert; prepared for anything, as if they were on a hunt. Dean immediately tried to turn the door knob without even knocking, but it was locked.

"Hey Dean," said Sam motioning down towards the bottom of the door, "Look."

It was a salt line.

They exchanged worried glances and then immediately started banging on the door for her to open up. But they got no answer.

"Laney! If you're in there, you have three seconds to open this door, or I'm going to open it for you!" shouted Dean through the door. He started picking the lock as he counted, "1…2…3…that's it!" The door opened easier than Dean would have liked. He was going to have to fix that, add a deadbolt.

He opened the door slowly like the well trained hunter that he was and motioned for Sam to keep quiet. All the lights were out and it didn't seem like anyone was there. Sam felt along the wall and flipped on the lights, sucking in a deep breath at what he saw. Laney's room was an absolute mess. Her clothing was in piles all over the floor, books were scattered all over the place, trash was littering her desk; nearly every surface was covered with something. There were several newspaper clippings taped to the wall next to her bed. A trash can at the corner room was overflowing with empty cans of Red Bull, and much to Sam's horror, he noticed a half empty bottle of pills next to her bed. One look and he knew exactly what they were. He quickly grabbed the bottle and stuck it in his pocket before Dean noticed it.

Dean shook his head in disbelief. Now, he was absolutely sure that something was wrong. To anyone else it might look like a normal college kid's room. But this wasn't anyone else. This was Laney, the most meticulous and clean person on the planet. Miss Neat Freak herself. Everything had a place and an order. They'd constantly teased her about it. She was seriously bordering on obsessive-compulsive, if not completely OCD. This was a girl who had all her clothes organized by color and her books alphabetized- the kind of kid that volunteered to wash dishes and do chores. She couldn't function if things weren't in their place. Her brothers' messiness had always given her fits. Order is what she'd always craved. Order over the chaos that was her upbringing.

"There are salt lines at the windows too," said Sam as he walked over to the other side of the room. He shook his head. _What the hell is going on here?_

"Look at these," said Dean, studying the newspaper clippings on her wall, "They're mostly obituaries…some crime reports." He pulled them off the wall and stuffed them in his pocket.

Sam dug through her desk for any clues.

Not finding anything helpful in her desk, Sam opened up her laptop. It immediately lit up with life and there was an open page, "Jesus," he whispered. Dean's head whipped around to look at Sam. He was in the middle of sweeping the room for EMF, which showed the room was clean.

"What? What is it?" he demanded.

"Look at this," Sam said pointing at the computer screen, "It looks like she's hacked in to some coroner's office database and she's been looking at autopsy reports and death certificates."

Dean ran his hands through his hair in frustration, stifling a shout. He was about ready to start banging on doors and getting some answers to Laney's whereabouts when they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" It was Laney, thinking someone had broken into her room. She jerked to a stop when she saw her two big brothers staring back at her. She blinked her eyes rapidly as if trying to clear them. _Is it really them?_ _Are they really here?_

Sam and Dean were both too shocked to approach her or make a noise as they took in the sight of her. She was completely disheveled and much too thin. It looked even more pronounced because she was wearing an old tattered pair of too big sweatpants that had once belonged to Dean and one of Sam's old Stanford sweatshirts. Her eyes were rimmed red and bloodshot, and the dark circles round them stood out against her unusually pale skin. Strands of her long dark hair hung limply around her face, falling out of a messy ponytail. She looked exhausted. Completely worn. Defeated.

"Hey short round," said Dean softly, using one of his pet names for her.

She said nothing, but finally moved from her spot by the door, keeping her eyes locked with Dean's, as if he might disappear if she blinked. She walked quickly over and threw her arms around him, squeezing tightly. Her breath hitching as she choked back a cry. Dean shook his head at how tiny she seemed to have become. It felt like she might break if he squeezed her back any harder. He felt his eyes grow wet with unshed tears. He blinked them away quickly. He felt intense guilt and regret wash over him. Something was terribly wrong and he hadn't been there to stop it.

She pulled away from Dean and into Sam's patiently waiting arms, his gargantuan frame practically swallowing her whole. Sam squeezed her tightly and pushed her back to kiss her forehead. "Hey baby," he said with a small smile, "Sit down." _Before you fall down._ She looked like she would collapse at any second. He guided her over to the bed, Dean holding one of her arms. She sat down. Sam sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Dean kneeled down on the floor in front of her.

"Hey kiddo, can you please tell us what's going on here?" Dean asked as gently as he could, even though he really wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake the answers out of her. Sam could see that Dean was barely maintaining control. He knew that under that calm tone, Dean was screaming out in fury.

Laney shook her head at her brother, eyes dropping to the floor. "Can we please just get out of here?" she pleaded, tears making their way down her face.

Sam shot his brother a helpless look. When it came to Laney, he let Dean make the decisions. It's how it had always been. He was the oldest after all.

Dean wiped away the tears with his thumb and grabbed her face in his hands. "No Laney, you need to tell me what's going on before we go anywhere," he urged a little more forcefully. Sam shot him a warning glance telling him to relax. Dean ignored him.

"I promise I will Dean, but please…I'm begging you, I want...I need to get out of here," she looked at him with haunted eyes, and he knew he was going to lose this particular battle. "I just want to sleep," she added in a whisper. "I'm so tired."

Dean was about to protest again, but caught Sam's eyes. He stood up from his spot in front of her. They were quiet for a moment, and Laney looked up at her brothers. She knew that they were having one of their famous silent conversations. Both brothers knowing each other so well, they could say all they needed to say with a series of looks.

When Dean sighed, she knew she had won.

"Okay, short stuff, let's get out of here," he said.

She gave him a faint smile. She got up from the bed and tripped on a stack of books at her feet. Dean reached out to steady her. Something was so freaking wrong and he couldn't stand having to wait to know what it was. But Laney came first and as long as she was in his presence, not a damn thing was going to happen to her.

She thanked him and walked over to her closet grabbing a bag and throwing handfuls of clothes into it without even looking. Sam's concerned eyes followed her every move closely. Everything about her was off; her movements jerky and tense. She was already heading out the door when Sam noticed that she hadn't bothered to grab her laptop. That alone freaked Sam out more than anything. She never went anywhere without her beloved laptop. That laptop to Laney was like the Impala was to Dean. One couldn't exist without the other.

Sam walked over to her desk and shoved the laptop into her computer bag. She was already in the hallway grasping on to Dean's hand for dear life. She didn't even bother to lock the door as she walked away.

When they got downstairs to the parking lot, she started to get in the backseat, but Dean stopped her, ordered her into the front seat to sit between him and Sam. Sam was grateful, if for anything, just to feel her next to him, alive and breathing. She pulled her knees up and leaned into Sam. He stroked her hair in an attempt to comfort her as best as he could without knowing what was wrong.

As they got on the highway out of town, Dean and Sam exchanged worried sideways glances. The silence was punctuated every once in awhile by Laney whispering, "I just want to sleep."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sorry I didn't post a chapter yesterday. I had a migraine, and the creative juices just weren't flowing. My goal still remains to post daily. Thanks for the reviews and messages!**

Chapter 4

Dean's mind wandered from worst case scenario to worst case scenario. Being a Winchester lately was bordering on a nightmare. It didn't matter the crazy that they dealt with on a regular basis. It was affecting his family now and that was not acceptable. He drove like a bat out of hell out of Massachusetts. He wasn't sure exactly where they would stop, but he didn't want to spend too much time out on the road. He was upset and even though he'd never admit it out loud, he was scared. This was his fault. He obeyed his father's orders to leave Laney alone while she was at school and to keep all contact to a minimum. All because he said that she needed to learn to be independent; that she needed the distance and space if she was ever going to have a normal life. None of it had ever sat well with Dean. He'd felt from the beginning that something was rotten about the whole thing. _Ugh._ He lightly smacked the steering wheel in frustration. He didn't like being kept in the dark, not knowing what he was facing.

He took his eyes of the road to look over at his sister. She was wide awake, head leaning back against the seat, eyes up and staring at the ceiling of the Impala. She hadn't said a word to him or Sam. Sam continued stroke her hair, rub her arms, or massage the back of her neck, using all the techniques they had since she was born, to comfort her, calm her.

Laney couldn't find it in herself to speak. She didn't know how to tell them what had been happening. Even if she did, she didn't have the energy to do it. It was like her body was drained of every ounce of strength. Her brain was mush. She felt emotionally worn. She just wanted to be in her brothers calming presence. Maybe then, she'd be able to talk.

A couple of hours of driving later, Dean decided they'd gone far enough. He pulled off into a motel in a small Connecticut town a few miles off the highway. Laney tensed, but Sam put an arm around her. She leaned into his side, feeling much calmer than she had in ages. Being with her brothers, on the road, in the Impala, checking into some non-descript, shitty motel; this was her normal. She felt better than she had in months. Maybe, she thought, everything will be okay after all.

While Dean checked them into the motel, Sam helped her out of the car. Grabbing her bags for her, he made sure to hold onto her arm as she wobbled slightly. Not only was she a little unsteady on her feet, he was almost afraid that if he let her go, she was going to up and vanish into thin air.

When Dean came out of the motel office they followed him to a room at the far end of the building. As soon as he opened the door, he pulled out a bag of salt and started laying down lines at the doors and windows. He didn't know if any of this was supernatural related, but it made him feel better to have the wards up. He had a feeling the routine of it made Laney feel better too.

Laney contemplated taking a quick shower. She needed one. She couldn't even remember the last time she had taken one, a real one, not just a few splashes of ice cold water in the face. But she was crashing fast. She had reached the point of exhaustion where sleep was inevitable and couldn't be held off any longer - not without chemical assistance anyway. She hoped that having her brothers with her now, under their watchful eyes, she might be able to sleep peacefully and that whatever bad mojo had landed on her might just lay off for a little while.

Giving up on the idea of a shower when she felt the weakness in her legs, she instead made a beeline for the bed closest to the wall and farthest from the door, as she always had since she was a baby. It was a tactical move that their father had always insisted upon to keep her protected in case of attack. Anyone or anything would have had to go through the three of them to get to her. Dean was happy to see that she hadn't lost her sense of self-preservation.

Laney kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed, curling up into a ball and facing towards the wall. Sam and Dean watched her every move intently.

"Sammy?" she called out faintly.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can you rub my back?" she asked, without turning to look at him. Sam smiled, she sounded like such a little girl when she asked.

"Of course," he said, kicking off his shoes and sitting closer to her on the bed. He began rubbing circles on her back, something both brothers had done for her since she was a baby. She'd always had trouble falling asleep without it. It was the one childish comfort she allowed herself. It was one of the things that reminded them that she was still a kid and not the grown up that she usually acted like she was.

Dean walked over and sat down on the bed across from them, watching his little brother and sister. He felt a surprising pang of jealousy that Laney hadn't asked him to rub her back. During the years that Sam had gone off to school, it had been mostly the two of them. Dad was always running off on some solo hunt and the two of them had grown super close, their relationship evolving into a true friendship and a deep mutual respect. Dean had come to recognize the innocent and loving spirit that she had. She was witty and incredibly insightful and he was so damn proud of her. He liked to believe he had a part in that.

He leaned back against the headboard and stared off into space. It shouldn't surprise him that she'd gone to Sam for comfort. Sam _was_ more in touch with his feminine side. He'd always been quicker to soothe Laney's hurts with words and hugs, while Dean preferred to just pound in the face of anyone who dared hurt her. And their father had always kept Laney at a distance. Probably because she was a painful reminder of the day his beloved wife was killed. He felt sad that Laney hadn't gotten to know the man their father was before he was hardened by their mother's death and their subsequent life of hunting.

"Earth to Dean," whispered Sam, breaking into his thoughts.

Dean looked over. Sam nodded his head towards their sister and he could tell by her light breathing that she'd fallen asleep. Dean immediately stood up from the bed and motioned for Sam to follow him to the far side of the room by a table and chairs. Sam carefully got up from the bed, not wanting to wake her, then covered her with a blanket, smoothing out her matted hair before he stepped away.

"We need to figure out what the hell is going on," said Dean, as he began pacing back and forth like a caged animal.

"I know, Dean, Just try to relax, let her tell us on when she's ready. She obviously needs rest right now."

"Relax?" he spat out, "You're telling me to relax? Are you seeing this?" he asked pointing at Laney, "Do you see her? I want to know what the hell is going on!"

Sam put his hands up in front of Dean in a soothing gesture. "I know, Dean, I know," he said quietly. He walked over to the table at the other side of the room and took a seat in one of the chairs.

Dean stared at Sam for a moment, before running his hands through his hair and reluctantly taking a seat across the table from Sam.

"Did you see her room?" asked Dean.

"Yeah, I saw it. I was there."

"That's not her, Sammy. Our Laney could never function like that…and did you see all the empty cans of Red Bull all over the place? Caffeine? I mean, what the hell, you know how she is about that stuff man!"

Laney was adamantly against caffeine consumption of any kind, even avoiding chocolate. She went on and on about how she didn't need anything to alter her brain chemistry or her moods. "It's addicting, Sammy!"She would say constantly. "It'll rot your brain!" She'd incessantly harassed all the Winchester men about it until Sam had finally switched to decaf in her presence just to shut her up.

"I think that she's been trying to keep herself awake," said Sam slowly.

Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam. "What makes you say that?"

"It wasn't just the Red Bulls," he answered quietly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pill bottle, setting it down in the middle of the table in front of Dean.

Dean grabbed the bottle from the table and read the prescription, "Adderall," he said, looking at Sammy, "What's this for?"

"It's a drug for kids with attention-deficit disorder and -"

"Why would she be taking that?" interrupted Dean. "She doesn't have ADD."

"It works like a stimulant. If you take enough of it you can stay up for days without sleep. It's like legal speed."

Dean sucked in a breath.

"When I was at Stanford, I know that there were a lot of students that would take it to stay up to cram during finals…it's bad stuff when it's not used properly."

Dean looked wide eyed at Sam. "I never took it!" exclaimed Sam, knowing what Dean was thinking, "But I know a lot of kids that did."

"No freaking way!" Dean shouted.

"Dean! Keep it down!" Sam looked over at Laney who hadn't so much as stirred.

"Keep it down! You just told me my sister is taking drugs!" Dean shut his eyes tightly. He was seriously considering shaking Laney away and demanding answers until he got them. This was so freaking far off from the sister he knew. What the hell had happened over the last several months that she would look like she did now; that she would be taking drugs. He didn't care of it was a legal prescription. He knew her better than anyone. No way would she start taking them and not tell him. How could everything go downhill so fast? No way. Not Laney. Not the baby.

Sam, noticing his brother was teetering on the edge of sanity, walked over to Laney's computer bag and pulled out her laptop, setting it on the table.

"Here," he said, "let's do some digging, maybe we can figure out what she's been looking into."

Dean's mouth was set in a hard line. Sam understood. Even though he wasn't freaking out on the outside, inside he was a big mess, his own guilt at his time away eating at him, but someone had to maintain their calm and rationale. Sam's life sometimes was running interference for his big brother. Saving him from himself.

"Alright," Dean looked as if something had just occurred to him. "Wait…I forgot I grabbed these off her wall," he said, pulling out the newspaper clippings from Laney's wall and throwing them on the table. "Maybe we can figure out some kind of connection between them."

Dean was beginning to feel a little bit calmer. Not much, but it was enough to focus on the task at hand. He could deal with this, he at least felt useful, actually taking action and trying to put the pieces of this freaking puzzle together.

"You don't think she was trying to hunt on her own do you?" asked Sam, shaking his head at the sheer improbability of it.

Dean shook his ahead. "I don't know…doesn't sound like her. She's too smart to do something so stupid."

"That's true," agreed Sam. But then again, he had never thought he would see the day where she would be abusing drugs, legal or not. Then there was the state of her room and her appearance and the fact that from all accounts things had gone to shit only in the last month since her birthday - "Oh my God," whispered Sam in a horrified voice.

"What? What did you find?" asked Dean, dropping the papers he was looking at and grabbing the laptop from Sam.

"That Kathleen chick said this pretty much started about a month or so ago, just after her birthday right? That's when she suddenly stopped going to class and stuff?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, so?" asked Dean, whose eyes started to widen just after the words left his mouth, "No… no…no way," he said shaking his head at Sam.

Sam looked straight into Dean's horrified eyes. "Do you think this could be related to the yellow eyed demon?"

Dean continued to shake his head no as he sat down hard in a chair. He wanted to say no. He wanted to say it couldn't be possible. But he knew better. Just barely a year earlier, Sam had discovered the truth about his special abilities. His abilities had begun just after his 22nd birthday. It was not long after they learned that yellow eyes was responsible for killing their mother. Then Laney had upped and decided out of the blue to go off to college without having ever mentioned a word about it before; and John Winchester had been her biggest supporter. He'd practically packed Laney's bags; a far cry from when Sam had gone to school. This was all starting to make a little too much sense.

"Maybe something has started happening to her? Maybe…maybe she's one of the special children too?" Their mother was killed just hours after Laney had been born. It would make sense.

"No… if that were true, Dad would have said something. He wouldn't have shipped her away from us where we couldn't protect her!" Dean exclaimed.

"Maybe all of it was just too much for her...the demon, my freaky gifts, learning the truth about Mom's death," Sam sighed. "I think that's maybe why she decided to go to school...get away from all this."

"I don't believe that, not for a second" said Dean with a disgusted tone.

"You think Dad made her go?" asked Sam.

"Dude, I wouldn't put it past him," said Dean who stood up and walked over to where Laney was sleeping to listen to her soft breathing. She still seemed okay. He walked back over to Sam, who was staring at him with his big puppy dog eyes.

Dean sighed, "A lot of the decisions Dad has been making lately, haven't been making a lot of sense."

"Yeah, maybe," said Sam staring at the floor.

"He only tells us what he wants us to know," said Dean, "But that begs the question…if they called Dad and said it was an emergency, why didn't he go to her? Why didn't he call one of us?"

Sam thought it probably meant that his father had his head planted firmly up his ass. Dad had a one track mind when it came to avenging his wife's death. He wanted the demon dead, too. But this was Laney and as far as he was concerned, Laney came first.

"I don't know," said Sam, clearly stressed.

Dean looked down at papers spread out on the table. "Spinning our wheels isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's just see what we have here."

Sam nodded in agreement and together they got to work.

After a couple of hours pouring over all the materials they had found in Laney's room, Sam and Dean were no closer to finding any answers.

"Dammit!" Dean grunted in frustration. "I don't see anything here! My friggin' brain is fried."

Sam looked up at Dean feeling just as frustrated.

"It's all just a bunch of random deaths," continued Dean, "some natural and some not, there all different ages, different areas, different everything! I don't see a connection, no pattern, between any of these people at all, except for the fact that they're all dead."

Sam rubbed at his eyes. Two hours of staring at the computer screen was getting to him. He was about to close the laptop when he noticed an icon on her desktop. It was Laney's journal. He bit his lip for a moment as he thought about clicking on it. He was sure he wouldn't be able to read it anyway. When Laney was 11 years old Sam had discovered her journal on her laptop. He'd let curiosity get the better of him and he'd read an entry. It had been about a certain boy that she had a crush on in one of the schools that Laney had managed to attend for more than a few weeks. It went on and on about how crazy she was about the kid and about a particular stolen kiss behind the school gym. Sam had showed it Dean, and Dean had hit the roof. Poor Laney had been mortified when her big bad ass brother went to the school and pulled his macho act on that boy in front of the whole school. No one of the opposite sex so much as looked her way during the rest of her time there. After that she'd coded her journal in some funky language that was all her own. He didn't have a chance of decoding it, but still, maybe she'd stopped using it.

Sam decided these were desperate times and opened up the file. He scrolled through the pages that were mostly full of indecipherable gibberish. He could identify dates, but that was about it, until he got towards the last of the entries. He noticed that the dates were getting more sporadic, and then there were some entries that weren't coded; just brief notes.

"Hey, Dean, look at this."

"What is it?" he asked as he got up from the table to stand behind Sam.

"I opened her journal."

"Man, you must have a death wish," chuckled Dean. He remembered that whole incident with the boy. She'd been mad at Dean for scaring that kid half to death, but she'd been downright furious at Sam for invading her privacy. It was one of the few times he'd ever seen his sister actually truly angry.

Sam rolled his eyes. "It's all coded, except for the last month. There's a date and then look at this," he said pointing at the screen.

"April 12, 2006, male, age 30-35, dark hair, green eyes, drug overdose? Amherst?" Dean read. He shook his head, "What does that mean?"

"Well, look at the next entry."

"April 15, 2006, female, late teens, blonde hair, blue eyes, stabbed to death, Liberty Township, school?" Dean read in confusion.

"And it keeps going," said Sam, "Every few days there's a note like this one, then almost a week without one before their several more in a row." He paused, "And look," he grabbed one of the obituaries from the table and handed it to Dean, "I think it matches the first entry."

"Jason Gagnon, age 33, was found dead in his car behind the Amherst City Library, of an apparent drug overdose on April 12th." Dean swallowed hard as he looked at the picture. Laney's written description matched the picture.

"Here's another one that matches," said Sam, picking up another newspaper clipping, "Mason Riley, age 17, found stabbed to death behind Olympic High School, Liberty Township, Pennsylvania."

The picture matched Laney's description of the girl killed on April 15th, as noted in her journal.

"I'll bet that she's got obits, police files, and autopsy reports to match all of these entries," said Sam anxiously. They were finally getting somewhere.

Dean rubbed at his temples trying to ease his throbbing headache. "Jesus, Laney," he whispered to himself.

As if she had heard him, Laney started to stir in the bed. Sam and Dean both looked over at her in time to see her turn over onto her back and suddenly start thrashing around wildly.

"What the hell!" yelled Dean, running over to the bed, "Laney!"

Sam jumped up from the table, the chair behind him crashing to the floor. Dean grabbed at his sister's flailing arms and tried to shake her awake.

"Laney! Laney wake up!" he yelled into her ear.

"Laney, baby, come on!" yelled Sam.

Sam noticed her eyes were wide open, but unfocused. They were unblinking and staring at the ceiling, with a look of sheer terror, neither brother had ever seen on her face before.

"Laney, dammit!" yelled Dean. He gave her a light smack on the face as he tried to turn her face towards him when her hands suddenly shot up to her neck and she started to make choking sounds and gasping for air.

Dean felt terror and utter helplessness shoot through him. Something was happening to her, something was doing something to her and he couldn't see it- didn't know what it was and he was powerless.

"She's turning blue!" yelled Sam when he noticed her color changing.

"Oh, God…please Laney, don't do this," begged Dean.

Sam's eyes began to water. Visions of losing Jessica were going through his head. This couldn't be happening to him. Not again. Not another person he loved.

Suddenly Laney stilled, her pupils were fixed and dilated, like the life had gone out of them.

"No!" yelled Dean and Sam at the same time.

"No, Laney wake up! Dean she's not breathing," yelled Sammy when he rested his head on her chest.

"What? How?…what…Sam call an ambulance!"

Dean made a move to begin CPR on his sister. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking. Sam grabbed his phone from the table to call 911, when all of a sudden Laney sat straight up in the bed, coughing and gasping for air, her eyes darting around the room in confusion and panic.

Sam dropped the phone in shock. It clattered across the floor. _What the hell?_

Dean swept Laney up in his arms, feeling her neck for a pulse. He closed his eyes and let a few stray tears fall. Appearances be damned. He never wanted to feel that way ever again in his life.

Sam sat down next to Laney, hugging her even though Dean still hadn't let go. When he pulled away from her, he noticed bruising in the shape of a hand around her neck.

Laney, who had been out of it and not responded to her brothers' touch, seemed to suddenly snap back into reality.

"Sammy! Dean!" she cried out.

"Right here baby," said Dean gruffly, "We're right here…you're okay." She was pretty freaking far from okay, but she was alive.

"Oh God… Dean…they just won't leave me alone. Why won't they leave me alone?" she cried out brokenly, "I just want to sleep…I just want to sleep."

"Laney, who are _they?_ What just happened to you?" asked Dean.

Laney touched her neck, Dean noticing for the first time the bruising on her neck. Sam couldn't be sure, but it seemed to him that they were already fading away.

"Laney, talk to us," Sam pleaded as he sat down on the bed next to her and pushed her hair out of her face, "what just happened to you?"

Laney was quiet for a moment. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, wiping the tears on her cheeks, until finally, calmly and quietly she turned to her brothers.

"I just died…again."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

No one said anything for a good five minutes, an incredible feat for Dean. Sam scooted closer to Laney pulling her into his side and letting her rest her head on his chest. Laney could feel Sam's heart beating wildly. She closed her eyes, feeling incredibly guilty that her brothers had to see what they saw. She could have easily warned them, if she had just been up front and told them what was going on from the second they showed up at her dorm room.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice coming out raspy.

"Sorry, for what?" asked Dean, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

"Yeah, Laney," said Sam, looking down at her, "What do you have to be sorry about?"

He let her go and got up from the bed and grabbed a bottle of water, handing it to her. She gave him a look of thanks and took a sip before she spoke, "I'm sorry for not telling you what was going on when you asked…I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"What?" snapped Dean, "See you die?"

Laney cringed. He was clearly very angry and she deserved it.

Dean ran his hands through is hair and silently cursed himself. Now was the not the time to be a dick. "Sorry."

"I know I scared you…I was so stupid," she said shaking her head at him.

Dean sat down on the edge of the bed across from her. Sam took his spot next to her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Laney grabbed his free hand and held it in hers. Dean took a deep breath, willing himself to be calm. "Kiddo, enough is enough, you have to tell us what's going on?"

Laney nodded her head sadly at Dean, "I know…I guess, I thought that you guys being with me…that getting away from school…that it would stop this from happening again."

"What exactly is happening?" asked Dean.

Laney chewed on her bottom lip, the way she always did when she was really nervous or scared.

Sam noticed, "It's okay babe, we can help you now, but you have to talk."

"Laney, you just died right in front of our eyes, for no apparent reason, and then popped back to life…" said Dean, his voice gruff with emotion, "And you're telling us this happened to you more than once, so spill it."

Laney's golden-brown eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "I guess, I should start from the beginning, from when I got to school," she began. Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "Almost immediately after I started school, I started having these really intense and vivid nightmares."

Sam eyes went wide and he sucked in a breath. _Not like me. Please don't say it._

Laney squeezed Sam's hand. She knew what he was thinking. She continued her story, "I just figured it was anxiety from being at school, you know…learning about yellow eyes, being away from you guys, Dad taking off, I mean, you name it…you know there have studies that follow college students that go to school away from home, and they say that they can suffer from a kind of traumatic stress disorder…it's really fascinating and -"

"Laney, you're drifting," interrupted Dean, trying not to smile. It was just like his little sister, to go off on a tangent like that.

"Sorry."

Dean smiled at her, "It's okay, short round."

Laney smiled and then got serious again. "Like I was saying…the nightmares -"

"What were the nightmares about?" Sam asked impatiently. Dean looked over at him. It wasn't like Sam to interrupt his sister like that. He was supposed to be the patient one. He could only be thinking one thing; this was yellow eyes related.

"I don't remember," said Laney, setting her mouth in a firm line. Sam got the sense that she wasn't being honest with them, but decided to let it go, if for any reason, to just be able to get the rest of the story.

"They went away after awhile," continued Laney, "and then right after my birthday, BAM! they came back full force." She stopped and looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes and trying to calm her breaths.

"What happened?" urged Dean as he reached across the space between them and put a hand on her leg.

Laney looked down and then fixed her eyes on the far wall. "I thought they were just nightmares or dreams…really intense and jacked up…but not real…but after the first week of it happening to me every night I knew that it was more…so I started taking notes after I woke up…I knew there was something more…and…and after some research, I found out I was right."

Her voice sounded calm, but tears were flowing freely down her face. Dean leaned in to wipe them away.

"So all these people in the obituaries and the coroner reports you swiped…you've seen them?" he asked.

"How did you know about that?" demanded Laney, taking her eyes of the wall and giving Dean a hard look.

"I grabbed the clippings off your wall and Sammy dug around on your computer."

Sam looked over Laney's head at Dean and gave him a dirty look. _Thanks a lot you little traitor._

Laney took a deep breath. She couldn't blame them for what they did. She could even forgive Sammy for messing with her laptop. _Remember they just want to help_

She sighed, sounding resigned. "Yes, all of those clippings…all of the reports…they're all of people that have died…been murdered…or died of natural causes, disease, whatever…"

Sam cleared his throat, speaking slowly, "So all these people…you had visions of their deaths?"

Dean looked at his brother apprehensively, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"That's how it started. I would see it, like a dream, but from their perspective." Laney stood up suddenly.

Dean and Sam both sat up straighter, wanting to reach out to her, but giving her space.

"How many people…how many times has this happened?" asked Dean in a hard voice.

Laney shook her head. "Fifteen…give or take..."

Both of her brothers gasped.

"But you don't get it!" she exclaimed, suddenly pacing the room. She needed them to know how bad this really was.

"Laney, calm down, baby," said Sam soothingly, as he got up from the bed to follow her.

Laney pinched the space between her eyes in frustration.

"What don't we get?" asked Dean, coming up behind her.

"I don't just see it! I feel it!" she started pacing frantically around the room, "I experience their deaths, as if they are happening to me…it actually happens to me….I die! I die every single time, not just in the nightmares or the dreams or whatever they freaking are…but in reality, my body goes through it too! If someone is stabbed…I am stabbed! I wake up soaked in blood…and then after a few minutes…whoosh! The wounds are gone! But I don't forget any of it! It's all in my head and it never goes away!"

Dean put himself in front of Laney to stop her pacing. He grabbed at her arms; the weight of what she just said coursing through every part of him. Sam stood right next to his baby sister, his eyes wet with tears of sympathy. He had some idea of what she might be going through.

"Laney, these visions -"

"They aren't really visions, Sammy. I don't see them before they happen…like you do. It happens at the exact time its happening to these people…I can't warn them… I can't save them!" she cried brokenly. "It's pointless!"

Dean pulled Laney into his embrace, squeezing her tightly. This was a side of his sister he didn't see often. She wasn't one that was given to outbursts of emotion; she'd never been one for tears. She kept herself in check, much the same way he did. But now she was a sobbing mess.

"Laney," said Dean, gruffly, "We're going to figure this out, okay? Me and Sammy, we're here now and we're going to figure this out…you're not alone…we're not going to let anything happen to you."

Dean wasn't sure who he was trying to convince; Laney or himself.

Sam reached out and rubbed Laney's back. "He's right, baby…we _are_ going to fix this."

She pulled away from Dean and gave Sam a quick hug. Sam reached down to dry her tear stained face and led her over to a chair. She took a seat tucking her short legs underneath her.

"Why didn't you call us?" asked Dean softly. More than anything he wanted to know why in the world she hadn't come to her big brothers for help. I mean, that's what big brothers are for.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking confused, "I left a bunch of messages for Dad…didn't he send you guys?"

Sam shook his head, "No, we got a call from your R.A. about you missing classes. She said she tried Dad too and never got a response."

Laney's face fell. _He really just doesn't care about me._

Sam gritted his teeth in frustration at his sister's hurt expression. He knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too. Dad had his head so far up his ass he couldn't see straight.

"It's not important anyway," said Laney, with a dismissive wave, "Right now, I need to figure out who I just saw."

"Whoa, whoa…wait a minute Laney, slow down…we need to talk more, we need to get to the bottom of this," said Dean, blocking her way.

"Dean, you don't understand! Some of these people, they're murder victims…and with what I see I've been able to tip the police off and make sure that these people get justice."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" asked Dean, who glanced over at Sam.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. He got it. Whatever was happening to her, she had no control over it. She felt powerless. All she was trying to do was find some good in the bad that was happening to her. He understood that drive better than anybody else.

Laney pushed past Dean to grab her laptop, but he stopped her and grabbed the laptop away.

"Not right now!" Dean yelled.

"Dean! Give it back!"

"Dean, give it back to her and stop yelling at her!" shouted Sam.

Dean gave Sam a disgruntled look. Sam was always coming to her rescue.

"She still hasn't answered why in the hell she didn't call us." spat out Dean.

Sam looked at Laney. _That was a good question._

Laney realizing she wasn't going to win this battle, let go of the laptop and sat down again in the chair, slumped in defeat. "I didn't want you guys to worry…the whole point of me going off to school was to be out on my own and not rely on you two so much. I didn't want you to not be focused 100% on hunting…you know…I didn't want to be a distraction…I thought I could handle it…I thought I was handling it." The words rushed out of her mouth.

"Is _this_ handling it?" Dean asked angrily, grabbing the pill bottle from the middle of the table and shoving it in her face. Sam got in front of Dean in a gesture to calm him down.

Laney looked shocked and then ashamed. "You weren't supposed to find out about that," she muttered, just above a whisper.

Dean shook his head in frustration. "Why, Delaney?"

Laney's breath hitched. The only time Dean ever called her by her full first name was when he was seriously disappointed in her. Only her father ever called her Delaney.

"I've been trying to stay awake," she whispered, her lips trembling, "I'm terrified of going to sleep…every single time I fall asleep it happens…and I just can't take it anymore…I just can't. I'm afraid of the next death, I'm afraid that one day I'm not going to wake up again."

Dean kneeled down in front of his sister, his anger quickly fading into concern. "Look at me," he said, chucking a finger under her chin.

She looked into her big brother's bright green eyes, a pang in her chest at the realization of just how much she'd missed him. "Me and Sam…we're not going to let that happen. You are going to have to trust us…let us take some of this burden off you…okay?"

Laney nodded at her brother, "Yeah, okay." She didn't realize how much she needed to hear it, even if she already knew it to be true.

"What can we do?" asked Sam.

Laney sighed and sat up straighter in the chair, grabbing the laptop and opening it up, "I need to figure out who was just murdered."

Sam sat down next to Laney. He was pretty good at research too. Nowhere near as talented as his sister, but his skills had been adequate enough to get him and Dean by without her.

"So what happened? Who was it that you saw, I mean felt...or saw, or whatever…I'm not sure how to -"

"It's okay, Sammy, you can just say saw."

"So, what did you see then?" asked Dean, taking a seat again at the table.

Laney closed her eyes, the death was still very fresh in her mind, and so she tried to recall it step by step in an attempt to get as many details as she could.

"A young woman, maybe 19 or 20, black hair, brown eyes-"

"Wait," interrupted Dean, "you said that it's like you are in their bodies, right?"

Laney nodded affirmatively.

"So, how is it that you know what they look like?"

She sighed wearily, the adrenaline was wearing off and fatigue was threatening to overcome her.

"It's hard to describe…it's like I'm linked with their mind or something…I see how they see themselves, in their minds eye…like a mental picture they have of themselves…I mean, sometimes little details are off…you know, we probably don't see ourselves the same way other people see us…but it's never kept me from figuring out their identities."

Sam gave his sister a sympathetic smile. "I know exactly what you mean."

Laney gave him a grateful look. She was happy that Sammy understood what she was going through in a way that no one else could, even if what happened to him was not exactly the same. He still got it in a way that Dean or their father never would. In a strange way, it made her feel closer to him, something she hadn't felt in a really long time. They really hadn't had much time to reconnect all those months ago after they'd shown up in Stanford, asking for his help. Then not long after that she'd been shipped off to college.

"So, what about this woman?" asked Dean, rather impatiently.

"Like I said…late teen's, black hair…short hair…like chin length. Brown eyes…she had a pierced nose…it was a silver stud…uh…she was really grimy, dirty…like a street kid I think."

"What happened to her?" asked Sam.

Laney looked down at the floor. "She was strangled to death," she said softly.

"What else?" asked Sam. He could tell that she was hesitant in telling them something else. Her eyes seemed very far away.

Laney answered after a minute. "I'm pretty sure she was assaulted too."

Dean looked sickened. "You didn't…it didn't…did you experience that too?"

"No."

Dean and Sam both gave a sigh of relief. It was enough for her to be experiencing these deaths. They couldn't even imagine her having to go through something like that.

Dean clenched his fists in anger. This was pure torture for him; not being able to fix what was happening to his sister.

"How did you know?" asked Sam, quietly.

"She was thinking about it…it was one of her last thoughts…I didn't experience the rape, but I felt her fear, and her anger…and her shame," Laney answered sadly.

"Did you see him?" asked Dean gruffly, "The killer?"

Laney shook her head in frustration. "I didn't get a good look…it was really dark…it was some alley and it wasn't well lit…and he had her face covered with something…and he didn't take it off until the last second…just before she died, so I only got a brief glance."

Laney looked away and closed her eyes again as she tried to recall some more helpful information. Suddenly she opened her eyes flew open.

Dean sat up straighter on the defense already. "What, what is it?"

"There was a dumpster…it said City of Buffalo Sanitation Department on it…it was Buffalo, New York…that's where this happened."

"Can you tell where it was? A street name or something?" asked Sam.

Laney thought for a moment then banged her fist on the table.

"Hey take it easy," said Dean.

"You take it easy," she snapped, running her fingers through her knotted hair. Her nerves were absolutely fried and she didn't know how much more she could take.

"Sorry," she muttered, "It's just… I don't think I have enough information to be helpful…where she was killed…I can't see enough to get a location-"

"It's okay, baby," Sam tried to soothe.

"No…Sammy, it's not! This girl could end up rotting away without being found…I could tell, no one is looking for her…no one is going to miss her! And the asshole that raped her and strangled her to death is going to get away with it and do it to someone else!"

She jumped up from the table and started pacing the room again, trying to ignore the way the room seemed to be tilting on it's axis.

Dean rubbed his face in frustration. "Kiddo, we'll figure it out," he said, looking over at Sam. "We treat it like a hunt."

Sam nodded. "You got some information …we can check the Buffalo police department logs…see if a body gets found matching the girl. Someone will find her eventually. The garbage truck is going to come for that dumpster sooner or later," he said.

Laney stopped her pacing. Sam was right, and if she'd been thinking clearly she would have come to that same conclusion. But her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't think straight. She was so tired she was ready to face plant on the floor. More than anything, she needed some of her pills. She needed to get her game face back on and refocus.

"Okay, okay…so we monitor the Buffalo PD and the coroner's office and see what comes across," said Laney, taking a seat back at the table. She pulled the laptop over to her and quickly hacked her way into their system. She was happy that despite her current state she could still pull off a simple hack. The room tilted again, but she ignored it.

Sam sat down next to his sister. He grabbed his own laptop from his bag and opened it up. He decided to see if there was any other research he might be able to do on the Buffalo area that might help him.

"I'm going to check on missing persons reports," said Sam, "You said this girl was a street kid…maybe she's a runaway and it got reported."

"That's a good idea, Sammy," said Laney. _I should have thought of that too._ What in the hell was wrong with her? She couldn't even handle what should really be a simple investigation. She was forgetting everything.

Dean watched his brother and sister for a moment. He was feeling a little out of his element. He could hold his own when it came to researching with Sam. But Sam and Laney together were like the super geek duo. He couldn't compete.

"Well, short stuff…I'm not as good as you two when it comes to this, so -"

"Yeah, I know, I'm the brains and you're the muscle." Laney said, interrupting Dean.

Dean smiled. "What I was going to say is that I'm starving and I'm going to run out for some food."

"I'm glad to see some things haven't changed," said Laney smiling. Only Dean could still think about food at a time like this.

"Ha-ha…"

"I guess, I could eat," said Sam.

"Me too," Laney added, not remembering the last time she'd eaten. It had probably been a couple of days.

"You _have_ lost some weight," frowned Dean, "anymore and you'll vaporize into thin air."

Laney gave Dean a dirty look. "I do eat," she muttered.

"Oh, would that be the Red Bull diet?" asked Dean.

Laney pursed her lips in. "I know, I know…please don't lecture me about what a hypocrite I am."

Sam ruffled her hair. "I would never."

"I would," said Dean.

Laney rolled her eyes at Dean. "Whatever…all I know is that I can't go back to sleep. I have to stay awake."

That was when Dean noticed her eyeing the pill bottle on the table. He immediately reached over her and snatched it off the table. "Well, you're not using these anymore."

"Dean! What are you doing?" She jumped up from the table after him as he walked towards the bathroom.

"You don't need these anymore," he said harshly. He pulled the cap off the bottle and dumped the contents into the toilet.

"Dean, I need those!" Laney choked out, "I have to stay awake!"

"Not like this!" he Dean, and with a quick flush, they were gone.

"Dean…why?" she pleaded.

Dean grabbed her by the shoulders, Sam standing beside her in a defensive stance in case Dean got too out of control. He shook her roughly, "Delaney, you don't need those pills…they're bad for you! Look at you! You're acting like an addict in need of her next fix!"

"Dean, stop," said Sam, pulling him away from their sister.

Sam was a little torn. He knew what she was feeling. He also knew that she was going to face some withdrawals and it wasn't going to be easy, in addition to everything else going on, it was going to be damn hard. His little sister looked furious and freaked all at the same time. Dean was right though, he decided; they couldn't let her keep taking the pills.

"Laney, we'll find another way to keep you up," said Sam. She looked at him with tear streaked eyes. It damn near broke his heart. But they had to save her from herself.

Dean was happy that Sam wasn't fighting him on this one. He knew how soft hearted Sam could be and that he wouldn't want his sister to suffer. But he wasn't going to allow her to hurt herself either. Dean would do everything in his power to protect his baby sister. He would die for her in a second, but he wouldn't let her do this to herself for one more minute. It wasn't in his DNA.

Laney took a deep breath and tried to steady herself as the room once again tilted around her and then suddenly the ground rushed up to meet her.

"Laney!" yelled Dean. _Please don't let this be happening again._

"It's okay…I'm okay…" said Laney, her voice slurred. She blinked her eyes furiously trying to clear her vision.

Sam reached down and picked her up, cradling her like a child.

"It's okay, Sammy, I just need a minute." She weakly pushed against his chest.

Sam ignored her and carried her over the bed, helping her sit up against the headboard.

"Are you okay?" asked Dean.

She nodded her head yes. "I haven't eaten in awhile…everything is catching up to me. This is how it goes."

Dean touched her face gently. "Well, I'm going to fix that." He grabbed the keys to the Impala from the table, and gave Sam a look that said he'd better keep a close eye on their sister.

"I'll be back as fast as I can," he said, slamming the door behind him.

Sam sat down on the bed next to Laney. She leaned into his side and put her arms around him, snuggling deep into his chest. He smiled. He'd really missed this.

"Baby, you know we're going to take care of you, right?"

She nodded into his chest.

"You just have to trust that Dean and I are doing what we think is best for you, okay?"

"I do trust you," said Laney, her voice muffled, "Both of you."

Sam nodded and leaned back against the headboard, keeping his sister close to his chest. As long as she was breathing, everything was going to be okay.

"Good."

Sam rested his chin on top of Laney's head. He wasn't going to let anyone or anything take someone he loved from him again. Over his dead body.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Laney let the nearly scalding hot water from the shower wash over her tense body, hoping to relax and soothe the soreness. She still felt some residual pain in her neck from being strangled in her sleep. That was new. Usually the pain went off like a switch. She hoped it didn't mean there was some new aspect to whatever was happening to her.

Dean had come back with hot diner food in record time. She'd eaten as much as she could, which wasn't all that much. She was anxious and on edge. Barely holding it together, she'd cut her meal short in order to escape into the shower. Not yet knowing who the girl she saw die was, and not being able to get the police on the trail of a killer, who might strike again at anytime, was almost too much to bear. She let the tears of frustration fall freely; glad that her brothers couldn't see her. They were worried enough as it was. She needed to at least look strong on the outside, even if she was a great big mess on the inside. There was no telling how long this might go on and the thought of closing her eyes and going back to sleep again scared the ever living shit out of her. If only Dean hadn't tossed her pills, she might have a fighting chance. Her head suddenly shot up. _Oh crap, I forgot._

Laney jumped out the shower without bothering to turn off the water. She dug through her bag, leaving the floor and everything in her bag soaking wet. She didn't care, her heart was beating a million times a minute, when she finally found what she was looking for. It was a small box with an intricate design carved into the wood with polished ivory; it was an African tribal ceremonial box, made to hold offerings to the spirits. It was one of the few things her father had given to her over the years and one of her most treasured possessions. She had fallen in love with the box the minute her father had brought it home after discovering it on a hunt. Even though it was a truly priceless artifact, John had given it to her when he saw how her face lit up.

Laney opened the box to find a small baggie with several of her pills tucked inside. She let out a heavy sigh. It was probably sacrilegious to be storing her pills in the box. But she knew that it was safe place. It had certainly just served her well. She counted 6 pills. She usually took two at a time, which would last her a half a day, maybe a whole day. Without thinking she popped four in her mouth and swallowed and put the last two back into the box. She made a mental note to put it in her pocket when she got dressed. As she got back in the shower she suddenly panicked. What had she done? She had taken more pills than usual and she had also just broken a promise to her brothers. They would be disappointed; Dean would be furious. For a brief moment she contemplated sticking her finger down her throat to make herself throw up the pills. But she just couldn't do it. In her mind there was too much at stake. _Sorry Dean._

And she let the tears flow again. Disappointing the men her life was becoming a habit.

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"She didn't eat much," said Sam still sitting at the table and finishing up his sandwich.

"Yeah, I noticed," answered Dean, taking a big bite of cherry pie, "The food isn't that great, but I tried."

"I'm sure she appreciated the effort. You got her favorite."

"Yeah, it wasn't easy finding pecan waffles in this town," smiled Dean, "But you know, Miss Breakfast for every meal of the day-"

"At least I know that pie is not a food group," said Laney, coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her wet hair.

"Says who?" smiled Dean.

Sam laughed. It was true, Dean and his pie obsession; scary.

Laney sat down on the bed. "Anything?" she asked Sam, her eyes looking over at the laptop.

Sam frowned and nodded his head, "Sorry, baby, nothing yet."

She sighed while absentmindedly grabbing a bag of peanut M&M's that Dean had left on the bed. She tore it open and popped a few in her mouth. She hadn't had them since -well -since Dean and Sam had dropped her off at school. Just one of the many, many things she'd missed while they'd been gone. She couldn't wait for all this craziness to get worked out so she and her brothers could catch up and spend some quality time together that didn't involve the constant threat of death or dismemberment. She was at least grateful that she could feel the familiar tingle of the Adderall taking effect already. She wished she had thought of doubling up her dose before, she thought guiltily. _I really hate myself right now._

Dean cleared his throat, interrupting Laney's thoughts. "So, I've been thinking…uh, I called Bobby and told him what was going on with you and he says that he knows someone who can help us, so we should just pack up and shag ass to his place now."

"Uh, no, I don't think so," said Laney, standing up from the bed and walking over to the table.

"What do you mean, you don't think so?"

Sam took a deep breath. He knew this was going to go south fast.

"Dean, there's a dead girl out there somewhere and a murderer on the loose! I can't just ignore that! You said we'd treat this like a hunt. We don't just up and leave in the middle of a case."

Dean stood up and faced his sister down toe to toe. She didn't back down.

"You can and you will ignore it," he spoke coldly, "If you think that I'm going to sit back and watch you crash and burn and go through what you just went through again, than you must be on more drugs than I thought."

"Dean," admonished Sam loudly.

"It's okay, Sam," said Laney, not taking her eyes off Dean, "I can handle him."

Dean raised an eyebrow at his sister.

"We have to find the girl and we have to get a killer off the street and you can get all big and bad in my face as much as you want, but I'm not going to run off to Bobby's."

"Little girl, I will throw your ass in the trunk if I have to!"

"Dean, knock it off!" yelled Sam, trying to get in his brother's face.

"If we run off to Bobby's, tail between our legs and someone else gets killed…I won't be able to forgive myself," said Laney looking Dean straight in the eye, "And I won't be able to forgive you."

Dean gritted his teeth and took a step back. He ran his hands through his hair.

"Dad would support me on this," said Laney quietly.

Sam looked over at Dean who was clearly having an internal battle.

"She's right, Dean," he said.

Dean looked at Sam, anger clear in his expression, but his voice smooth, "I'm surprised at you Sammy. Just a few days ago you were giving me grief about wanting to work cases instead of finding Dad and now you're ready to work this case instead of getting Laney the help she needs."

Sam let the pang of hurt in his chest at Dean's words slide.

"I get it man, she needs the closure…and she's right, this is what we do. This is what Dad would want us to do. This _is_ getting Laney the help she needs."

"Since when do you care what Dad wants?" snapped Dean, getting in Sam's face.

Sam glared at Dean. "Because I know that your heart is in the right place, I'm not going to punch you in the face for that."

"Oh really," yelled Dean, "Come on, lay one on me Sammy," he motioned for his brother to hit him.

"Guys! That's enough," yelled Laney, coming to stand in between them. This is so not what she wanted; her brothers at each other's throats over her. They needed to lay all on their anger where it belonged; on her.

Sam grabbed Dean by his shirt collar and the two brothers wrestled with each other for a moment. Laney was trying to pull them apart when they heard a ping come from the computer. The Winchester boys let go of each other.

"What's that?" asked Sam, dusting himself off and straightening out his clothes.

"I had the computer run a search on all possible hits on the description of the girl I saw. It must be done running it's search." Laney sat down at the laptop, rubbing at her face with her hands she let out a growl of frustration.

"What is it?" asked Dean.

"500 possible hits, just on the East Coast alone…this is going to take awhile." Laney sat down and got to work. She was feeling the full force of the pills already. The extra dose made a big difference. She was wide eyed and completely wired.

Dean threw his hands up in the air. "Laney, don't you understand that Bobby can get us help? Maybe we can figure this out and that will make things move faster. I know you want to stop these murderers or whatever, but we need to know why you, why this is happening to you."

Laney considered it for a moment. There was some merit to what Dean was saying, but it would take a day or two to get to Bobby's and there was only the off chance that someone might be able to figure out what the hell was going on in time to find the girl and stop a killer. She nodded her head.

"We can't," she stated firmly, "Not yet."

Dean looked at Sam, who shrugged at him and took a seat next to their little sister.

"Goddammit," snapped Dean. He grabbed his keys and jacket of the dresser and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him for emphasis.

"He'll cool down," soothed Sam, when he noticed Laney flinch at the door slamming.

"He's right you know," she said.

Sam gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"He's right, I'm right, neither of us is wrong. Problem is we can't do both…I can't run off to Bobby's right now, even though I probably should. I mean how much longer before it happens again?"

Sam patted her arm. He tried to think of some words of comfort, but none came to mind.

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Dean pulled into the parking lot of the nearest dive bar he could find. His hands were sore from punching the steering wheel a few times on the drive. His frustration level was through the roof. It had taken all the strength he had in him not to grab his sister and force her into the car. He was trying to do the right thing, whatever that was. In his mind his first priority was to keep his sister safe from harm. Everything else was secondary; closure be damned. Strangers be damned.

Dean walked into the smoke filled dimly lit establishment, thankful for the familiar scent of liquor and fast women. He made a beeline for the bar.

"It's last call, so you only have time for one drink," said the bartender.

"Well, then make it a Jack, double no ice," said Dean.

Thankfully the bartender didn't seem in the mood for conversation. He poured Dean his drink and walked off to the other side to pick up all the discarded glasses.

Dean took a large gulp of his drink, enjoying the slow burn down his throat and hoping it would calm his mood. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to run off when things got tough. The baby had not very often been on the receiving end of his anger. He shook his head at the thought. He had to stop thinking of Laney as a baby. She was a nearly grown woman and about a million times smarter than him on her worst day. This was life; life as a Winchester. Never easy, always complicated. The family business.

He understood Laney's thinking, even if he didn't like it. It was their job as Winchesters to help the innocents in the world, to right wrongs and take a little piece of evil out the world whenever they got a chance. But this was new territory. Laney had always operated at the periphery of their hunting gigs. They'd managed to keep her out of the thick of things for 17 years. She'd always helped them and more times than he could count she had saved their asses. Her computer and research skills were invaluable. Hunters from all over the country called her for help. But neither he nor Sam nor Dad, had ever let her get any further involved than that. She wasn't completely ignorant to the nitty gritty of the supernatural world. She'd seen spirits and witnessed a few exorcisms. She had memorized the Latin. She'd seen monsters up close and personal. She'd been taught how to fight. She knew how to load and fire weapons. She had all the skills a good hunter needed. Most importantly, she had the Winchester men to back her up. But Laney knew her strengths and her limitations. It never seemed to bother her, being left behind on hunts. She knew her job was just as important.

Dean finished his drink. The bartender came over to him and poured him another double. Dean gave him a confused look.

"I know I said it was last call, but you look like you can use another drink."

"Thanks, man."

He had to figure out their next move. Everything was suddenly different and all the rules had changed. Something supernatural was happening to his sister. There was no question in his mind about it. Whether he liked it or not, the family dynamic was changing, and Laney was going to be involved in hunting in a whole new way. His job however would remain the same. Protect her and Sammy, always.

Dean threw down a few bills on the bar and nodded thanks at the bartender. His sister needed him and it was time to stop working against her. Climbing into the Impala, he flipped open his cell phone and dialed his father. When the voicemail prompt finished he spoke, "Dad, we really need you. I don't know what's going on with you, but it's the baby, and she's in big trouble."

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For over an hour Laney had been searching through the missing person's photos and reports that the computer had compiled. It was sad just how many girls out there had disappeared or runaway from home. She felt sorry for them and even more grateful to have her family, no matter how unconventional it was. It only strengthened her resolve to find the girl and stop the killer despite Dean's protest, even though she knew it was always better to have him on your side instead of against you.

Luckily- or unluckily- she thought, she felt the familiar rush of her pills in full force. The effects were even more intense than she expected. Her heart was going a million miles an hour and she felt feverish and flushed. But she was wide awake, and that's all that mattered to her. She'd have to pay the piper later.

She'd managed to convince Sam to grab a nap while she worked. It was nearing dawn already and his eyes were bloodshot. She knew that both he and Dean had little sleep. He protested at first, but she promised she would wake him if she felt the slightest bit tired or needed his help.

His head had barely hit the pillow before she heard his soft snoring. She hoped Dean was staying out of trouble wherever he was and that when he came back, _and he always came back,_ that he would be calmer and more reasonable. She hated being at odds with him. It just didn't feel natural. They'd always been a team.

She clicked through the two hundred and something photos when she heard the familiar rumble of the Impala's engine pulling in front of the room. She let out a great sigh of relief, knowing he was okay. A moment later he came through the door. She met his glance, putting her finger up to her mouth and nodding towards Sam's sleeping form.

Dean shut the door as quietly as he could while he tried to decide if he should be pissed off or not about Sam sleeping and leaving their sister unsupervised. But Laney looked wide awake; more so than she had since they'd picked her up hours ago. Dean gave her a scrutinizing look. Something wasn't right, but he didn't know what. He walked over to table and took a chair next to her as he pulled off his jacket.

"You seem wide awake," said Dean, suspiciously.

Laney didn't miss a beat, "Yup, I took a really cold shower, downed a couple of Red Bulls- thanks for getting them by the way."

"Don't mention it."

There were a couple of minutes of silence. Laney pretended to study her computer screen. But really she wanted to make sure things were okay between them.

Dean leaned back in his chair and looked over at her. Laney glanced in his direction and down to the floor, biting her lip, "I don't want to fight," she said quietly.

"Me neither," he said, "So I'm going to go along with you…for now…we'll do what we can to find the girl and get the police on the track of this killer…but we're not going to spend days on this, we have to get to Bobby's as soon as we can, and you can't stay awake indefinitely."

She couldn't argue with that. "Okay," she said smiling at him. He smiled back, glad that for the moment, things were right with them again.

He got up from the table and sat down on the other bed to flip on the television, "We'll leave for Buffalo in a couple of hours, let Sammy get a little sleep."

"You should get some sleep too, Dean, I'm okay right now."

"Maybe, I will."

Laney looked at him for a long moment. His profile lit up by the glare from the television. He was her safety and her strength. He'd practically raised her, and she knew he would do anything in his power to take care of her. She thought of all the girls in the photos. She was damn lucky.

She walked over to Dean. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, embracing him in a hug.

Dean was surprised and slightly embarrassed. This was so Sam's department.

"I really missed you Dean-o."

He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I missed you too sweet n' low."

Laney smiled at the use of yet another of his many nicknames making fun of her stature. It was exactly what she needed to hear.

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Laney looked up from her computer to notice the faint light of day peeking out from behind the thick motel curtains. Dean had finally dozed off a couple of hours earlier. She was happy that they were getting some rest and also happy not to have them hovering over her. She was beyond frustrated that the files she'd been searching through had yet to yield anything helpful. No bodies had yet been reported found in Buffalo matching the girl's description. She guessed it was entirely possible that the girl had never been reported missing. A stray tear escaped at the thought of someone not even caring enough to report her.

Wiping her eyes, Laney got up from the table for the umpteenth time. She was having trouble sitting still. Her heart wouldn't calm down and it felt like it was going to burst out her chest. Despite the frost indicating a cold northeastern morning, she had stripped down to a tank top and shorts. She couldn't stop sweating. She knew it was the pills. She knew she'd taken more than she should. But these were desperate times. _God, Dean is going to be so pissed if he finds out._

She probably shouldn't have taken a double dose of pills. But why cry over spilled milk at this point. She went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face before sitting back down in front of her laptop.

She clicked through several more photos when she was shocked to see the face of the murdered girl staring right back at her. It was definitely her without a doubt. Her face was forever burned into her memory.

She quickly read through the file. Her name was Darla Green, 19 years old from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She'd been reported as an endangered runaway over two years earlier. Her parents were deceased and she'd runaway from a group home. The group home director had suspected she'd gone up north to New York State, where her parents where from.

"Finally!" she whispered loudly to herself. Now they could get to Buffalo and start investigating.

She jumped up from the table and rushed over to Dean's bedside.

"Dean, wake up," she said as she shook him.

"What? What is it?" he asked, pulling a gun from under his pillow.

"Dude, put the gun, away," she said, rolling her eyes, "I found her, I know who she is and we need to leave for Buffalo like now."

Dean sat up and rubbed the sleep from his bleary eyes. _Coffee. Black. Now._ He thought.

Sam hearing the commotion sat up quickly from the bed, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sammy, got a lead…we need to hit the road."

He got up from the bed. "Do I have time to grab a quick shower?" He needed a cold one to wake his up. Three hours of sleep was not enough to face the day.

Laney bit her lip. She just wanted to get on the road. "Of course, I can go get some coffee for you two…you look like you need it," she smirked.

Dean gave her a hesitant look. She rolled her eyes at him. "Coffee shop right across the street Dean…you can watch me from the window if it makes you feel better."

"Fine…go…black, two sugars…and caffeinated please," he added.

"Same here," said Sam.

"Don't worry, I can hardly read you the riot act at this point." She grabbed the room key and money from the night stand as she headed for the door. She quickly slipped on her shoes. She was anxious to get on the road, and if her brothers needed a few minutes to get ready, then she could keep herself busy by doing something-anything to calm her nerves.

"Uh- you're not wearing that," said Dean pointing at her.

"What's wrong with this?"

"Uh, those shorts are a little too short for my taste. And a tank top? You do know it's like 40 degrees outside right now don't you?"

 _Oops._ She was feeling so overheated at the moment that she didn't feel the least bit chilly. But to appease her brothers and quell any suspicions, she threw on a pair of ratty sweats over her shorts and Sam's old sweatshirt that she had been wearing when they showed up at Cambridge. _Damn it all._ She was sweating already.

"Happy now?"

"Deliriously," smirked Dean. "Watch yourself shrimp," he added.

"Just be ready to hit the road, by the time I get back," she said, shutting the door behind her and not giving Dean a chance to give her some smart ass retort.

Dean glared at the closed door. It was far too early and they had way too little sleep. _Suck it up, Dean._

His sister had far less sleep and no hope for getting any anytime soon. If she could take it, he could take it, and he wasn't about to bitch about it out loud.

Sam was in and out of the shower in less than five minutes. Just enough time to wash the sleep out his eyes.

"So, are we okay?" he asked.

Dean looked his brother in the eye. "We're good Sammy. Laney and I already kissed and made up. It's all good…let's not get all Hallmark moment."

Sam chuckled, "Wouldn't dream of it man."

Dean smiled. "I'm going to grab a quick shower too."

"Yeah, okay," Sam's eyebrows were furrowed.

"What's on your mind, sasquatch?" He knew his siblings much too well. They both had their tells for when there was something bothering them.

"I was just wondering how this is all going to go down…what do we do if we can't find anything? And I'm not just talking about the girl. I'm talking about whatever is happening to Laney, however this is happening to her."

"We'll do what we have to do."

"But, what does that mean, Dean?"

"It means at some point we can't worry about what she wants…we have to do what's right for her. She's not exactly in her right mind right now."

Sam swallowed hard. Dean was right. But that didn't make it any easier.

"Look," added Dean, "we're going to do everything in our power to find this girl's body and this killer, not only because it's important to Laney, but because it's what we do. If we can't do it now, and we have to come back later, than that is what we'll do. Laney will just have to deal with that. She can be as pissed as she wants at us, but I don't care, as long as she's alive."

Sam nodded at Dean. "Alright…okay."

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Laney walked into the nearly empty coffee shop. It was still early. The smell of fresh brewed coffee was welcoming. She didn't know why she'd been so against the stuff. She'd discovered a million and one ways to make coffee- not to mention all the flavors. It had been a whole new world for her.

"Can I help you?" asked the far too chipper young woman behind the counter.

"Uh…yeah, two large coffees black…and I'll take a large…uh…hmmm…ooh, a large toffee mocha," Laney's eyes lit up when she saw that on the menu. That was a new one she'd never tried before. "To go please," she added.

"Anything to eat? We've got fresh baked goods."

Laney looked in the display case. She wasn't the least bit hungry. But her brothers could probably use something, especially Dean- the bottomless pit.

"Yeah, I'll take a half dozen of the glazed donuts and a couple of cherry turnovers."

"Okay, be ready in a few minutes."

Laney nodded at the girl and took a seat in a chair near the window. She looked over towards the motel and could see Dean peek his head through their room window. She rolled her eyes. He really had some control issues, she thought.

It was probably a six hour drive to Buffalo. Short by their standards, but an eternity for Laney, she just wanted to get there, find the girl's body and get a killer off the street. All in a day's work, she hoped. She knew that there was a limit to what Dean was going to allow. The faster she could get this solved, the better it would be for everyone. He really wasn't above throwing her ass in the trunk and driving all the way to Bobby's with her kicking and screaming. She had a feeling Sam would go along with it too. Despite his different perspective on the matter, he was just as freaked out as Dean. Not that she wasn't freaked out, not that she didn't want to know why this was happening to her.

"Ready," said the young girl, whose name tag read Annie.

Laney handed her the money and grabbed the drinks and food from the counter. "Thank you, Annie," she smiled. She hoped that Annie had a family that cared about her and she wouldn't end up like Darla.

"I come bearing gifts," said Laney, as she came through the motel room door. Her back was to her brothers so she didn't notice that Dean had a furious expression on his face, so it shocked her when she turned around.

"What? What did I do?" she asked, thoroughly confused. Sam was standing right next to Dean looking pretty angry himself, which confused her even more- and scared the crap out of her.

Dean glared at her; the muscle in his jaw was twitching. His hands were in a fist at his side. That's when she noticed it. Her little ivory box.

She shut her eyes tightly. _Oh shit._ She had meant to put that in her pocket and keep it on her at all times.

"Dean, Sammy-"

"Don't," Dean spat, "Don't say a word."

Laney felt tears pooling in her eyes. She felt like the lowest person on Earth at that moment. She started chewing on her bottom lip. There was no way she was going to escape the wrath of Dean.

"That was quite a show you put on a little while ago, acting like we had thrown away all your pills…but dumb old Dean, didn't know you had a secret stash hidden away."

"Dean I-"

He put up his hand to silence her. She stopped speaking and glanced at Sam, whose expression showed zero mercy. It was enough to send the tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I want to know why Delaney…I want to know what made you think that we weren't going to notice. Shit, I can tell right now. You can barely keep your eyes focused, and you're flushed, your jumpy. So, just what were you thinking?"

"I swear to you Dean, that I didn't know I had that stash with me. I totally forgot," she cried, "When I was taking a shower earlier, I was so tired, all the cold water in the world wasn't going to keep me awake…and I saw the box, and remembered that I had more pills…and I didn't even think about it, I just took them."

"You promised us that you would trust us," said Sam, breaking his silence. Laney cringed at his expression. She looked over at Dean who looked like he wanted to smack some sense into her. She completely deserved it too.

"Please, Dean…Sammy, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking…I just I don't know what to do!" She broke down into sobs. She sank to the floor against the door. "I'm really sorry."

Dean's expression was unchanged. Sorry wasn't going to cut it.

"How many were in here?" asked Dean.

Laney flinched at his tone. "Six."

"Six? So you took four? Delaney!" exclaimed Sam loudly. He knew that was way too much.

"No wonder, you look like you do," he added, coming over to her and kneeling down next to her. He put a hand to her forehead. "Jesus."

"What?" asked Dean.

"She's burning up." He stuck a finger against her neck checking her pulse. "Her heart rate is way high, too."

"What does that mean?"

"It's a side effect of the pills. I wrote a paper about it for school once. We just have to watch her closely."

Dean gave Laney a disgusted look which just tore her to pieces. He threw her box down next to her with such force that it broke into several pieces, the two left over pills falling out next to her feet. She gasped loudly. Her eyes grew wide. She understood how mad he was, but how could he do that? How could he break something that they all knew meant the world to her? It was just mean. It was cruel.

"Take the rest of them, or not. It's your life," Dean said coldly.

Laney ceased her crying almost instantly. She ignored the pills, gathered up the broken pieces of her box and stuffed them in her pocket. Without a word, she stood up, grabbed her bags and walked out the front door. She opened up the Impala and sat down in the backseat, her eyes fixed forward. Maybe she could put the box back together. But her broken heart? She wasn't so sure.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Winchester brothers watched their sister leave the motel room and climb into the backseat of the Impala. Her eyes were fixed forward and her face expressionless. _This is bad. This is really bad,_ Sam thought. Before he could even turn to Dean to say something, Dean cut him off with a harsh look and a wave of his hand and stalked off towards the bathroom.

"Keep an eye on her," he said before shutting the bathroom door behind him. He turned on the water and splashed some cold water on his face, meeting his reflection in the mirror with disgust. _Way to go, asshole._ Anger was very quickly fading into a profound guilt. He hadn't meant to break her box. He hadn't meant to be so cold. The fact of the matter was that he knew she would forgive him eventually, but he wasn't sure he could forgive himself. Despite how smart she was and how logical and rational she'd always been, deep down inside was a little girl who just wanted her father and brothers to love her and take care of her. He knew she was just as sensitive as Sam, even if she didn't show it. And the look on her face when he'd thrown her beloved box to the ground and shattered it into pieces; it was a look that he'd only seen twice before in his life. Once when her father had to take a puppy Laney had informally adopted to the pound when he declared it too much trouble to take on the road; the second time was when in a drunken stupor their father had blamed their mother's death on Laney. Now, this was the third time, and it was all his fault. He had lost control. It didn't matter how angry or frustrated or scared he was. He had lost control and he'd hurt his sister; it was unacceptable.

Sam looked from the bathroom door and back to the Impala a couple of times trying to decide what to do. Part of him wanted to bang on the door and berate Dean for losing his cool. Sam was not happy with Laney's choices, but he also knew that she was dealing with something they couldn't even imagine. Regardless of Sam's own painful visions; what was happening to her was beyond compare. As for his own anger - well it had already faded away to a deep concern.

He gathered up the rest of their belongings and loaded up the trunk of the Impala. Yelling at Dean wasn't going to get him anywhere. And if he knew his brother- and he liked to think he knew him better than anyone else- Dean was going to put himself through hell over how he had acted. That alone might be punishment enough.

Sam walked towards the car. Laney kept her face forward and didn't even look his way. It was what he expected. Ever since she was a little girl, whenever something was seriously bothering her or upsetting her or whenever she was struggling with something, she would shut down like that. It was like she would turn off everything and go into what he called "safe mode"; as if she were a machine. She internalized everything. Sam thought it was a way of protecting herself. He knew that right now in her mind she was analyzing everything; trying to separate her thoughts and emotions and looking for logic and reason. He would leave his sister alone for now. When she was ready, she would talk. And he would be there to listen.

Dean came out of the room and towards the car without making eye contact with Sam or Laney; stopping at the door for a minute and rubbing his hands through his hair before finally getting in next to Sam. He flicked his eyes up towards the rearview mirror. He could barely make out Laney, who had moved to sit against the door on Sam's side of the car. Her expression remained unchanged. With a heavy heart he turned the key to Impala and listened to it roar to life, wishing it would drown out the regret that was roaring in his head.

Laney was glad to finally be getting on the road. The faster she could get away from this place, the more perspective she might be able gain. She fingered the shattered pieces of her treasure box in the pocket of her sweatshirt with deep sadness. She was sweaty and hot, but decided that this discomfort was a small price to pay for letting her brother's down the way she had. She silently mouthed a Tibetan prayer she had learned when she was young. It was used by young monks as a means of meditation. It was supposed to clear her mind of all the noise and allow her to focus and reflect. At the moment it wasn't doing much for her. It was probably the pills she had taken. She was having trouble slowing down her racing mind. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry like a baby. But that wasn't the kind of thing she did. She would work through it, calmly and rationally and methodically, like she did everything else in her life- up until now anyway. Her life had been upside down for months now and it wasn't looking like anything was ever going to be the same again.

Dean continued his silent recriminations against himself on the drive out towards the highway; every once in awhile he caught Sam glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. He had been surprised at his brother's silence. Usually went it came to the baby, he was never one to hold back, which only made him feel worse, because for Sam not to talk, it meant that he'd been a major dick.

Dean brought the Impala to a crawl as they approached the interstate. He could go in one of two directions; north to Buffalo to help find a dead girl and her killer or south to Bobby's where they could work on getting Laney help. He was torn. He wanted nothing more than to make sure Laney was safe, but at the same time, if he betrayed her trust and didn't help her like he'd promised, he was pretty sure that it would be the straw that broke the camel's back. He glanced at Sam who was giving him a worried look and then to the rearview mirror. Laney visibly straightened up in her seat as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Dean finally put his foot on the gas and took the northbound exit heading to upstate New York. He noticed Laney relax in her seat. He also noticed worriedly that she was extremely flushed and sweating. He rolled down his window a crack to let some fresh air in.

Sam let out his breath and rested his head against the seat. Crisis averted.

Laney said silent thanks and got back to reciting her Tibetan prayer. No matter how hard she tried to block it out, all she kept coming back to was the look of utter disappointment, anger and shame she'd seen on Dean's face when he had discovered the pills. She worried that things between them would never be the same and it was heartbreaking. She needed him, like she needed air. Even if she'd never said it in so many words, she did.

A couple of hours into the 6 hour drive to Buffalo and none of the Winchesters had so much as sneezed. Laney found it increasingly difficult to sit still. She needed to go to the bathroom but didn't want to be the first to break the silence. She had already worked everything out in her mind. She was going to apologize to both her brothers and beg for their forgiveness. She'd been in the wrong, she could see that clearly. It didn't matter how hard what was happening to her was to deal with. She'd gone about it all wrong. She was trying to formulate her apology, but was distracted by that fact that she really, really had to pee.

As if Dean had read her mind, he steered the Impala off the interstate and into a huge truck stop complete with clean bathrooms, a convenience store and a large diner. _Thank God._ She was happy to see the logo stating that they were Wi-Fi capable. She needed to check her computer for any updates about the girl. First things first, she thought, getting out the car. _Bathroom. Now._

She stretched her body, easing the tension from her muscles and grabbed her bag and headed towards the truck stop without so much as a word to Sam or Dean, who were both watching her back with intense scrutiny.

Dean nodded his head towards her. "Make sure she stays out of trouble."

Sam paused for a moment, "Uh-"

"What?"

"Nothing," said Sam shaking his head, "Do you want something to eat?"

Dean's stomach growled at the thought of food, "Yeah, go on in, after I fill up, I'll park and come in."

"OK." Sam walked quickly to catch up with Laney, staying a couple of steps behind her.

Laney could sense her brother behind her. Sam remained a respectful distance from his sister and stopped outside of the bathroom entrance to wait for her.

Laney took her time freshening up in the bathroom. She stripped off her sweatshirt, which was damp with sweat, rolled it up into a ball and stuffed it in her bag. She was just going to have to deal with the stares from everyone wondering why she was wearing a tank top when it was 45 degrees outside. She wanted to get rid of her sweats too, but didn't have anything with her at the moment that would be decent to change into. A tank top she could get away with, but a tank top and sleep shorts was probably pushing it.

Once she finished changing, she stood at the sink for a moment to study herself. Her cheeks were a rosy red. Her eyes were bright and wide, despite the dark circles underneath. She made a face at her hair, which had seen better days. Pulling out a brush, she quickly worked through the tangles in her thick, long, dark hair. It was the same color and texture as her father's. She felt a pang of sadness. _I miss you Dad, wherever you are._

After a few minutes she decided she'd done what she could to look semi-decent and packed up her stuff. If she took any longer she suspected that Sam or Dean would come charging in to make sure she hadn't climbed out of a window or something. She'd never done or thought of doing such a thing in her life. But in all fairness, she was all about doing things against her nature these days.

Laney opened the door to the restroom and nearly ran right into Sam. She was right. He looked like he was ready to send in the troops after her. He gave her a quick once over before her turned away. _Here goes nothing._

"Sammy…wait."

Sam turned around, trying to stifle his smile. He was so happy to hear her speaking, that he couldn't help himself.

Laney bit her lip for a moment before looking up at her brother straight into his gentle eyes.

"I am so sorry," she said slowly, emphasizing each word, "I just-"

Sam let himself smile this time. "That's all you need to say, kid." He grabbed her up in a bear hug and squeezed her tightly, before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

She smiled up at him in thanks. "I love you, Sammy."

"I love you too, kiddo."

 _Well, that's was easy._ One down, on more to go.

"Where's Dean?" she asked, a frown replacing her smile. Sam nodded his head towards the store window. Dean was just pulling the car into a parking spot out front.

She handed Sam her bag. "Here...I'll be back." Taking a deep breath she headed out the doors, sparing a Sam a quick look, that said, wish me luck please, because I'm going to need it.

Dean noticed Laney coming out of the store towards him. His first thought was to wonder what the hell she was wearing. Her tank top left little to the imagination, and this was a truck stop full of lonely old truckers. His second thought was one of panic. He was actually kind of nervous. He rubbed his hands over his face before stepping out the car. He seriously had to bite his tongue form commenting on his sister's clothing choices. Now probably wasn't the right time. He let out a small sigh, poor Laney looked like she was getting ready to face a firing squad.

She slowed down her steps, coming to a stop just in front of her big brother who casually leaned back against the Impala door. She stared at her feet a moment before finally looking up at her big brother.

"Dean, I have something to say, and I need you to just let me get all out before you say anything."

Dean nodded an okay at her and stood up straight to show he was giving her his full attention and consideration.

"I know that I let you down...more than that, I broke a promise…and there is no excuse for it…it was disrespectful to you and to Sammy and I wish I could take it back, but I can't. I've shown some really poor judgment lately and I hope I can fix that…and hope that you'll give me chance. I just…I can't stand for you to be so angry at me and disappointed. I've always wanted to make you proud; you and Sam and Dad…I'm just…well…right now I'm really messed up…and I need your help."

Laney looked away from her brother and down at her feet. She was trying to keep from crying. She didn't want to be a big crybaby in front of Dean. She hated crying in front of her family. Well, it didn't bother her so much with Sam. He never made her feel weak for it.

"Are you done?" She heard Dean's voice ask, softly.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, "Yeah."

"Look at me."

Laney looked up at her brother, expecting to see his angry eyes staring back at her. But instead she saw compassion, regret, guilt, and love. He placed both his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye with intensity. "I'm the one that should be apologizing to you. I can't even begin to imagine exactly what you are going through…and you needed my support. You didn't need me to be a dick. I reacted without taking a second to think…you know…that's kind of my M.O," he smiled wryly, "But I promise you that I am not disappointed in you. I don't hate you…I know that's what you've been thinking. There is no way I could ever hate you…you are the baby, you're my baby, and I will do whatever I have to do to help you and to keep you safe and sometimes I'm going to be an asshole about it…but it's all because I love you and I..if something…if something ever happened to you, I just don't know what I would do."

Laney finally let the tears fall from her eyes. It was the first time that Dean had been so, well, so gooey with her. With everything he ever did for her, it was always implied, but it was the first time she really heard him say it. Dean was giving her a rare chick flick moment. She treasured these moments more than anything, even though they often made her uncomfortable too. Right now, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Dean thumbed away a tear from her cheek. She noticed his eyes were suspiciously wet; which of course only made her cry harder. "I was a total douche bag for breaking your box. I didn't mean to, I swear. I know how much that meant to you and I'm a complete asshole for wrecking it."

"No argument here," smiled Laney, through her tears.

"Brat."

"Meanie."

Laney went into Dean's arms and hugged him fiercely.

"I promise I will make it up to you somehow," said Dean.

At the moment she really didn't care about the box, she was just happy to be with her brother; happy that they were okay again. He was strong and safe and he loved her. She rested her head on his chest for a moment, surprised that he was letting her linger there for so long. _He must really be sorry; this is like a serious Lifetime movie moment._

Dean cleared his throat after a couple of minutes. "So, how about some pie?"

Laney smiled up at her brother and laughed. Dean thought it was just about the sweetest sound in the world.

Sam had watched the scene between his brother and sister unfold from the other side of the diner window. He couldn't make out what they were saying so he was happy when they finally hugged it out.

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An hour later the Winchesters were sitting at a diner table, finishing up a hot meal. Laney had her laptop open to take advantage of the internet connection. She was digging into Buffalo police files again. But so far, nothing had been reported about any dead girls matching Darla's description. She had filled in Dean and Sam about what she had found and showed them a picture of Darla. Both the boys felt a renewed sense of responsibility in helping Laney get justice for the girl; seeing her face made it real.

"There's nothing here," said Laney in frustration.

"Try not to worry, squirt," said Sam.

"Yeah, you know, we're pretty good at this stuff," added Dean, stuffing the last of his onion rings in his mouth.

"What stuff would that be?"

"Getting something from nothing," replied Dean.

"Yeah, but this isn't your usual deal…you know…no vengeful spirits, no nasty demons…abominable snowmen...or whatever."

Dean put his hand over his heart in mock protest. "Oh, have you no faith?"

She flashed Dean her million dollar smile. Sam shook his head in wonder. Dean and Laney had identical smiles; made to melt hearts and get their way.

Laney was happy that things were feeling more normal than they had felt in awhile. They were back to their usual banter and lighthearted teasing. It was like easing back into a well worn glove. She missed this. She worried that when they fixed whatever was wrong with her they'd ship her back to school. She already knew she didn't want to go back. She never even wanted to go in the first place.

Dean noticed the subtle change in his sister's expression; she was worrying about something. She was also pulling at the threads on the sleeve of his favorite flannel shirt. When they had gotten over their chick flick moment he made her put on his shirt for the sake of decency. He knew she was hot and uncomfortable but he convinced her it was important she put it on; otherwise they'd be wasting more time having to bail him out of jail because he wouldn't be able to stop himself from beating in the face of every guy in the place who dared stare at her.

Laney looked over at Dean and noticed him staring. She smiled at him again and shut her laptop. "Well, there's nothing new here, so we should hit the road."

"Sounds good," said Dean, pulling out some cash from his wallet and setting it down on the table.

Sam helped Laney out of the booth and grabbed her bag for her, pulling her close to his side and glaring at any of the truckers who looked her way.

Laney shook her head in amusement. She looked like crap at the moment. No reason for anyone to be looking her way.

Dean was right behind her effectively encircling her in a wall of brother. She couldn't even see around them. Any other time she might have made a fuss, but at the moment she was thoroughly enjoying their attention.

Dean unlocked the doors to the Impala and waited for his sister to get in. She hesitated a moment before looking up at Dean with her big golden-brown eyes. "Can I sit up front with you guys?"

"Of course, runt," answered Dean.

Laney smiled. She used to do it all the time when she was a little girl. Usually she'd curl up between the two or between Dean and her Dad and have her back rubbed until she fell asleep. She was such a tiny person; she barely took up any space. Somehow she'd missed the boat on the family height; just barely breaking over 5 feet when all the men in her family were giants. She assumed it was her mother's family that left her with short people genes.

Dean got in next to his sister, smiling at the familiarity of it. She pulled off his flannel and neatly folded it before placing it in the backseat. It was such a Laney thing to do. He chuckled to himself.

"What?" she asked as she and Sam looked over at him.

"It's nothing," he answered, starting up the car and heading out.

"Wow, you're like a freaking furnace…are you sure your okay?" asked Dean. The heat radiating off his sister was making him uncomfortable. He rolled down the window for some air. Sam exchanged a worried glance with him.

"Well, I'm hot as hell and my heart is beating like I just sprinted a mile…but I'm okay otherwise." She decided she was going to be honest with them, even if it made them uncomfortable.

"You tell us if it changes and you think you need a doctor or something," said Sam seriously.

"I will."

Laney leaned her head against Sammy's shoulder. She was still wide awake, but she yawned dramatically. "Wake me when we get there," she said as seriously as she could.

Dean nearly drove the car off the road.

"Relax, it's a joke," said Laney.

Sam gave her a disapproving look, "So not funny Laney."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood."

Dean looked from his sister to Sam and smiled. "It was a little bit funny."

Laney giggled. _Dean really gets me._

Sam looked at them both like they were crazy and shot them one of his patented bitch faces. He wrapped his arm around his sister and pulled her close. Dean put some AC/DC in the tape player tapping his hands on the steering wheel to the rhythm; with his brother and sister next to him, he felt more content than he'd felt in a really long time.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Happy Halloween to all who celebrate! Thanks again for the positive reviews and messages. They warm my heart! FYI, I'm going to start reposting my one-shot WeeLaney stories in the next week or so. Follow me as an author so you don't miss out on those.**

Chapter 8

"Where's the brain trust?" asked Dean as he juggled three large cups of coffee.

"She went to change her clothes," answered Sam, grabbing one of the cups from his brother and taking a seat at an empty table.

They were at a Starbucks just a few minutes outside of Buffalo city limits trying to figure out their next move.

"It better be something decent," said Dean.

"Dude, it's Laney, we've never had to worry about that with her."

"True, although I think times are a changing Sammy."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "Give her a little credit."

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "We'll see."

"See what?" asked their little sister, plopping down in the empty chair between her brothers.

Laney was wearing a perfectly respectable sweater and jeans. If anything, she was on the conservative side. She'd never paid much mind to fashion and was much more concerned with comfort.

"That I'm always right," answered Sam, giving Dean a knowing look.

"Ha!" scoffed Dean.

Laney shook her head at her two brothers. _Bozos._

She pulled out her laptop and quickly accessed the Buffalo Police and Coroner's office files. Sam and Dean waited for their sister to speak. Dean noticed her jaw clench in frustration and came to the conclusion that there was nothing new. He was just as frustrated. The longer this took, the worse it was going to be.

Laney shook her head, "Still nothing." She slammed the laptop closed. She was absolutely exhausted.

"So, what's our next step?" Sam asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well, what do we know about the girl?" asked Dean.

"Darla," said Laney firmly, "Her name is Darla." She didn't like them referring to her so impersonally. She was a real person.

"Sorry…Darla. What do you know about her?"

"Not much. Her parents died when she was 15. Both of her parents were only children and there was no extended family. She went into foster care and ended up at a group home, which she ran away from a year later. Her parents were from Buffalo, so I think maybe she was looking to see if she might have some connection here."

"That sucks," said Dean somberly.

Sam noticed an odd expression cross Laney's face. "What is it, kiddo?"

Laney shook her head sadly. "I was just thinking how I could easily be just a hop, skip, and a jump away from being in her shoes."

"What do you mean?" asked Dean.

"I mean that if I didn't have you and Sammy and Dad, I would be just like her. No family left," Laney swallowed the lump in her throat. The realization was startling to her. She hadn't noticed how small her world really was. Where would she be without the Winchester men?

"You don't have to worry about that," said Dean confidently.

"Why not?"

"Because that would never happen to you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm the oldest and I just know," Dean said firmly. He offered no further explanation.

"Dean's right," said Sammy, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

"I thought you were the one who is always right, Sammy."

"Bite me."

"Okay, you two, let's get serious please," said Laney with an annoyed sigh. She wanted to talk about it more, but for the moment decided to push it to the back of her mind. Too many other things on her plate.

"Sorry," her brothers said simultaneously.

"You said she lived on the streets. That you could tell she was a street kid, right?" asked Sam.

"Yeah…" It dawned on her their next step. "Okay, most of these street kids, they usually know each other, they stick together for safety, hang in groups and stuff. If we can find out where they congregate, we could probably ask around and get some information…see if anyone knows her and where she hangs out…where she hung out I mean."

"And then we might be able to trace her steps and figure out where she is," finished Dean.

"Exactly."

Dean nodded his head in agreement. "Good idea, squirt."

"I know. I _am_ the genius."

Sam chuckled softly. "You never let us forget it either."

"Are you calling me conceited?" asked Laney, feigning offense.

"Never," answered Sam, with a smile.

Dean stood up from his chair and stretched. "We have a few hours of daylight left, so we should hit the streets now."

"Yeah…I think I know where we can start," said Laney. She stood up to follow her brother, wobbling slightly. Sam grabbed her gently by the elbow. She gave him a small smile. Sam shot his brother a worried glance. Laney was awake, but she was struggling.

Dean nodded at him in understanding.

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Although Buffalo is a major city, its downtown area was pretty concentrated. Dean hoped that meant they could find some answers quickly. They were quickly approaching the 24 hour mark since the girl- Darla- Dean mentally corrected- was killed. Meaning Laney had been up, all by artificial means, for a day. On top of her not having much sleep in the last few months. He wasn't sure how the kid was even upright.

Sam and Laney were discussing a good area to start. "I say we just drive into downtown and figure it out from there," said Sam.

"I think I know where," said Laney absently. She rubbed her face tiredly.

"How would you know?" asked Dean.

"Because this area is starting to look familiar to me."

Sam shot her a startled look, and then looked over at Dean. Dean shrugged his shoulders at his brother.

"What do you mean it looks familiar?" asked Sam. He'd turned all the way around in his seat to look his sister in the eye.

Laney took a deep breath. "Well you know how people, when they are facing death say that they see their life flash before their eyes?"

"Yeah, and?" urged Sam.

"Well, it's true. Their life really does flash before their eyes. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I see a lot of faces of people they think of, places they've been. It's fast and fleeting, but I can catch some things and hold on to them."

Sam turned in his chair to look at Dean. _Okay, this gets weirder by the minute._ Dean tried not to look as disturbed as he felt. Now was not the time to freak out. That would come later, and it would come in private.

Laney noticed her brothers' expressions. She knew she'd just upped the freak factor. She opted not to address it. "Anyway, we need to find the Buffalo Central Library."

"Okay," said Sam.

"Oh my God, you're seriously not going to use that?" said Laney, pointing at the map Sam had pulled out from the glove compartment.

"Why not?" asked Dean, looking over at the map. He thought he'd been pretty smart to pick up a Buffalo street map at their last stop.

"A map? A paper map? Hello? Ever heard of GPS?"

"GPS is for suckers…real men use maps," snickered Dean.

"Are you kidding me? It'll take all day to find where we need to go with that thing." Laney pulled out her phone to access its GPS feature, shaking her head in disgust. She couldn't figure out what her brother had against technology.

"We should really get one for the car," said Laney, looking at her phone.

"Over my dead body," said Dean, looking at his sister in the rearview mirror as if she had just asked him to cut off his own arm. "Original parts only for my girl."

"Gimme a break, Dean…it would make life a whole lot easier…seriously."

"Laney, half the places we travel to aren't even on maps…forget GPS…last time I tried using that thing it nearly sent me head on into a lake…so no thanks, I'll keep it old school."

Sam listened to the exchange between his siblings with amusement. It was the type of argument they were always having- iPods over cassettes- manual versus power windows- fresh air over air conditioning- and any other luxuries of the 21st century. Dean liked things simple. Give him his ride, his gun, and a destination. He didn't need much else.

"You're such a dweeb," she said with finality.

"Love you too,"

Laney playfully slapped Dean on the side of the head. She had moved to the backseat again after their last stop. She was antsy and nervous and couldn't keep still. She knew she had to have been driving her brothers crazy, even though they never said a word. She was also starting to feel the chill in the air. She had stopped sweating a couple of hours earlier. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried. The pills had pretty much loss their effectiveness and for now, adrenaline was the only thing keeping her going.

"Okay, make a left at the next light, then find somewhere to park," she said after consulting her GPS.

Dean made the left and drove around the block a couple of times before finding a spot suitable enough for his beloved car. Laney grabbed a couple copies of the picture she had printed out of Darla and handed one to each of her brothers. Laney noticed they both grabbed loaded guns from the trunk of the car, hiding them in their waistbands. She'd been around guns her whole life, whether loaded with real ammo or rock salt filled bullets, it didn't matter, she'd seen them, she knew how to load them and use them. But she'd never been involved in a hunt in this way, no ghosts or goblins seemed to be involved, but it was a hunt in every other way.

"What's the plan, braniac?" Dean asked, as he cased the place. They were standing in front of an old brick historic building; the Buffalo Central Library.

Laney shivered. It was turning into an especially cold afternoon and the skies were graying with the threat of rain. She wasn't quite sure of her next move. She hadn't thought so much about what to do once she got to Buffalo. She just knew she had to get there. Looking around she noticed a few groups of teenagers hanging around. She was startled when recognized one of the boys. He had been important to Darla.

Not wanting to freak her brothers out she spoke as nonchalantly as he could. "I guess we just start asking questions." She reached into her pocket for Darla's photo, "Should we split up?"

Dean gave her look that said she was being ridiculous. "I don't think so."

"I don't know, you can be pretty intimidating, you might scare off anyone who might talk," said Laney.

Dean gave her a cocky smile.

"I didn't mean that as a compliment," she smirked.

"Laney, we kind of do this for a living," said Sam.

"Exactly…watch and learn little sister," said Dean, as he walked towards a group of kids. He didn't even get within 5 feet of them before they noticed his approach.

"I smell bacon," said one of the kids, a tall boy with a backwards ball cap on and torn jeans, he was the one Darla had thought of last. He had shaggy dark hair peeking out from his hat, Laney could tell that with some cleaning up and a haircut he would be a real looker.

"Seriously? Do I look like a cop to you?" asked Dean, "I just want to ask you a couple of questions."

The group of kids started laughing. "Let me get this straight…You just want to ask us a couple of questions right?"

"That's right," answered Dean.

"But you're not a cop?"

"Nope."

"Sorry, don't buy it…you got a warrant or something?"

Dean's pursed his lips in frustration. Laney stood back an observed the scene with amusement. Usually Dean really could be very smooth, but she knew he was going about it all wrong. These kids didn't trust anyone. Laney was what you might call socially awkward, but she thought she was good at reading people.

"Listen, smart ass, I told you, I'm not a-"

"Hey, guys, sorry about my brother here. He's just trying to help me out," interrupted Laney, who had pushed her way in front of Dean, before Sam could even protest.

Dean turned to Laney, "What are you doing?" he muttered under his breath.

"Let me give this a shot," she muttered back.

Dean threw up his hands in defeat, but took up a defensive stance next to his sister. Sam stood on the other side of her. They had her effectively covered.

"You are?" asked Darla's guy.

"My name is Daisy and these are my brothers Bo and Luke."

Dean and Sam both had to bite their tongues from laughing. It was a serious effort to keep a straight face.

"They are just trying to help me out. I'm looking for someone; a girl, her name is Darla, I met her a couple of weeks ago at the shelter and she asked me for some help. My Dad is a private investigator, and she's been looking for some family and I offered to help, I lost touch with her and wanted to know if you could let me know where I might find her."

Dean swelled with pride. Laney sounded genuine, not an ounce of hesitation in her voice betrayed her lies. _Impressive._

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

A sudden thought occurred to Laney, "You're Tim, right?"

Dean and Sam both tried not to look shocked. _What the hell was going on?_

"How did you know that?" he asked, looking around nervously.

"Darla told me about you- she said I could trust you."

Tim thought for a minute. "Okay, maybe I can help."

Laney flashed her million dollar smile. "Great. So where can I find her?"

The group of kids shifted uneasily. Sam and Dean exchanged a concerned look and took a step closer to their sister.

"Haven't seen her around in a couple of weeks, heard she got mixed up with a bad crowd…bunch of junkies and prostitutes that hang out under the overpass on H street, near 5th avenue." Tim looked devastated. Laney's heart broke for him. She didn't know who this guy was to Darla, but she knew without a doubt that their connection had been deep and serious.

She nodded her head at him. "Thanks…really, thanks a lot."

Tim shrugged his shoulders as if he could care less and had just given her a report on the weather. Laney knew it was an act. This guy was hurting. Bad.

The siblings were nearly to the street corner, when Laney turned around, walking back as if she had just forgotten something.

"Where are you going?" asked Dean.

"Just give me a second, I'll be okay."

Sam and Dean stood tensely observing the situation for any threats. They were only about 10 or 15 feet away, but that was still too much for their liking.

"Hey," Laney called out to Tim. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to him, "Take this."

"I don't need your charity, lady."

"Lady? Come on you can't be much older than me. Please take it…you need it. I really like Darla and I think she would want you to take it."

Reluctantly the Tim grabbed the bill from her hands. "If you find her, please tell her that we miss her… that _I_ miss her."

The sadness in his voice was painful.

"I promise, I will."

"Be careful kid, that part of town is not safe for someone like you."

Laney nodded, "Thanks for the heads up."

She turned back to her brothers. Darla had lost her parents, but it seemed she had found a family. She wondered what had gone so terribly wrong.

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"Okay, so this overpass is on the south side of town, about five miles from here," said Laney, who rattled off some directions from the GPS.

"Where did you learn to do that?" asked Sam.

"Do what?" asked Laney, with a yawn.

"You were really good with that kid. Asked the right questions. You sounded like-"

"Like a hunter?" Laney asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," chuckled Sam.

"I've paid close attention…I've never been allowed to go on hunts with you guys, but that doesn't mean I haven't listened to or studied every last thing you've ever done."

"It was impressive, squirt," said Dean, a tinge of pride in his voice.

"I was really nervous, but it actually came kind of naturally."

"Of course it did, you're a Winchester," scoffed Dean.

"Yes, it's all in the genes. It required no skill at all," said Laney sarcastically.

"You really were great kiddo," said Sammy.

"She learned from a pro," said Dean.

"Please Dean, there's not enough room in the car for your ego," teased Sam.

Laney gave a small smile; she was beginning to feel really bad. _Crap._ She knew the feeling. She was going to lose her battle against sleep and that meant some new nightmare. It was too soon.

Dean eyed his sister in the rearview mirror. "You okay there kid?"

"Huh…I'm good…I'm just wondering how we approach this next part…"

"Just take our lead…I promise to be a little more tactful this time."

Laney and Sam both shot their brother incredulous looks. Tactful was not in Dean's vocabulary.

They were all quiet for a few minutes before Sam finally asked the question that had been on his mind since they'd left the library.

"Baby, how did you know that guy's name?"

Laney chewed on her lip for a moment. _Good question._

"I'm not really sure, Sammy…it just kind of popped into my head. When I saw him, it was like I knew him. He was important to Darla, so I guess it stuck with me." Her voice trailed off at the end. Mentally she was fried. And she was scared.

Sam nodded at her and Dean surprisingly had nothing to say. So they continued on in silence; each of them lost in their thoughts.

When they finally approached the underpass, Dean did a couple of drive by's to case the area. He decided he wasn't going to park anywhere near the bridge. They drove a few blocks north and walked towards the area.

"This is how it goes, Laney…you stay close to me and Sam. I mean, like glue… you stick to us. If something happens and we start running…you start running. Do not pass go, do not collect $200…do you get me?"

"I get you," said Laney simply. Dean was using his no room for argument tone. She didn't feel the need to argue anyway. The closer they got to their destination, the more terrified she got. She wasn't sure if it was her own fear or the memory of fear from Darla, either way it was way out her element.

Dean attempted to approach a couple of guys hanging around the underpass, but they all quickly scattered in other directions and he wasn't about to go chasing after them. Then he noticed a young girl who had to be Laney's age hanging with a couple of older guys and decided that maybe he could use his famous charm to get some answers. He approached them cautiously, and pushed Laney behind him. They eyed him suspiciously.

"Excuse me, I'm a private investigator and we're trying to locate a runaway, I was wondering if you would take a look at her picture, tell me if you've seen her."

"What's in it for me?" asked the girl who was giving Dean googly eyes. Laney tried not to gag.

"20 bucks," said Dean, "Just for looking."

"Who's the girl?" asked one of the men hanging against the wall and nodding a head towards Laney.

"Not important," answered Dean. Sam took up a closer position behind his sister.

"What do you need baby?" he asked ignoring Dean's response, "Some meth? Speed? Coke?"

"I don't need anything," answered Laney.

He laughed. "Yeah right, I can spot a user a mile away. You look like one of those preppy high school kids. Yeah, I'm right…speed…that's what all you little white kids come down here for…you don't have to put on a show…I can get you what you need."

"No thanks," said Laney, swallowing hard. Her mouth had gone so dry she felt like she had cotton in it.

"So, then these two guys are your pimps then?" asked the second guy, with a sneer. He was disgusting. Laney wanted to puke right there. Dean was two seconds away from pulling the gun from his waistband.

"Knock it off C," said the young girl. She walked away from the guys pulling Dean, Sam and Laney with her.

"Let me see the picture."

Dean pulled out the photo and showed it to her. Her face immediately lit up in recognition.

"That's Darla…she hangs out here."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Two nights ago, she was heading up towards the mission to see if she could get a bed. It was really cold out here."

"Where's the mission?" asked Sam.

"Three or four blocks north of here…"

"Thank you," said Dean, handing her the $20.

She took it from him, holding on to his hand a minute longer than necessary. "Anytime."

Dean felt shock and disgust. This girl had to be not much beyond Laney's age and here she was on the street prostituting herself. The world was a seriously shitty place.

Dean turned around, "Let's shag ass outta here."

They walked quickly in the direction of the mission. Laney was quiet, pensive. Dean didn't need to ask her what was on her mind. Sam grabbed her hand and squeezed. The simple touch soothed her.

Laney could see the mission sign up ahead, when she got a strange feeling. Everything started to feel familiar again; like déjà vu; as if she had been there before. She slowed her steps down. Sam and Dean gave her curious looks.

"What is it?" asked Dean, on alert.

"I know this place…I remember it…I don't know why- maybe" she broke off mid-sentence. They were at the entrance to a dark alley. No one was around. She noticed a dumpster that looked exactly what she had seen about halfway down the alley. Her breath quickened; she knew…she just knew…what she was going to find.

Laney walked cautiously but quickly towards the dumpster. There was a strange dark energy pulsing around her, like an echo of her nightmare, a deep foreboding. It was like walking into a nightmare that had been realized. She jumped at the feeling of water on her shoulder. It was beginning to rain.

"Laney?" asked Sam, softly.

The brothers were by her side watching where her eyes were fixed. They recognized the dumpster as one she had described. But surely there were hundreds, if not thousands of these dumpsters around town. This could hardly be the exact one.

It was starting to pour, but Laney showed no reaction to it, and did nothing to shield herself. She turned around in full circle. Her brothers looking at her worriedly.

She knew this was it. She scanned the outside of the dumpster but no Darla. Then she knew- she felt that she was inside. That would make the most sense for someone to get rid of a body. She could easily be dumped out at the city dump, like regular trash and no one would even know she was there. Hardly anyone seemed aware of her existence anyway.

She put her hands on the dumpster lid, taking a deep breath. Before she opened it, Dean put a hand on hers to stop it.

"Kiddo, let us take a look."

She shook her head, "No, I have to do it."

"No, you don't," said Dean trying to pull his sister away.

She gave him a pleading look. And he let go of her arm.

She paused for a moment and flung the lid open. And there she was; half naked and half covered in trash. Her eyes were fixed open in an expression of horror. She had been beat up and there was a dark circle around her throat. It was Darla.

Laney gasped and took a step back into Sam who grabbed her and turned her into him. He cradled her against his chest and she began to cry.

Sam and Dean looked at the body for a moment, before Dean shut the lid again.

If Sam hadn't been holding her up, Laney would have fallen. She felt her knees buckle beneath her. Sam held her and whispered soothing words in her ear. Dean looked at his sister, feeling intense sympathy.

Laney knew she would be stuck with that image in her mind for the rest of her life. She had experienced this girl's death, had shared her last moments with her, but still, with all other deaths she'd experienced she had never seen the bodies up close and personal, she had never physically stood in the space where it had happened. Being here now, brought up the memory with an intensity that was actually physically painful to her. She suddenly broke away from Sam and threw up against the wall of the alley.

"Hey, hey," said Dean, coming up behind her and rubbing her back. He winced with every gag, "Take it easy, we've got you."

Laney wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and allowed her brothers to steer her out of the alley and back onto the street. It was pouring rain and they were all soaked to the bone by the time they reached the Impala.

Sam helped her into the back of the car, and took a seat next to her at Dean's prompting. She was shivering. He turned up the heater on full blast.

The mood was so somber, that Dean for once, didn't care about the fact that everyone was soaking wet in his car. It just wasn't important.

Sam looked from his sister and met Dean's eyes in the rearview mirror and mouthed, "What now?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Dean found a motel a few miles outside of Buffalo city limits and not far from the Canadian border. He was contemplating what to do next about the discovery of Darla's body. First things first though- he had a sister to take care of.

Laney hadn't said a word on the drive; her head had remained on Sam shoulder the whole time. She'd managed to stop crying, but the look on her face was scary. It was completely blank; devoid of emotion. _Safe mode,_ thought Sam. He closed his eyes in frustration. If he could trade places with his sister he would do it in a second- hell, he'd have to fight Dean for the honor. He couldn't stand everything that was being thrown at her. His visions had been few and far between and the effects were short lived. This was a whole other ball game.

"Room 64," said Dean, opening up the door to let his siblings out of the car. He pointed to the far end of the row of rooms. The rain had not let up, but no one cared to cover up. Dean grabbed the bags out of the car and headed towards the room, Sam and Laney close behind.

When they got inside, Dean immediately went over to the heater and turned it up. The room was freezing and he could hear Laney's teeth chattering with cold.

"Get out of those wet clothes, baby," he said, handing Laney her bag.

"Dean, what do we do know?" she asked, finally breaking her silence and ignoring the offered bag.

"We get dry."

"We have to call the police," she insisted.

"Laney, we'll take care of it…please, get yourself dry before you catch pneumonia," pleaded Sam.

Laney shuddered and finally grabbed the bag from Dean. She'd had pneumonia twice as a child. It wasn't an experience she was eager to relive.

She walked into the bathroom and began peeling out of her clothes. It was official. Her pills had run out of her system. She was bone tired and ready to drop. And yet there was still business to finish here. She wasn't sure how she could go on. She decided to run a hot bath to warm up. Darla wasn't going anywhere, she thought dryly.

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"What do we do next?" Sam asked his big brother. They were both changing out of their wet clothes.

Dean tossed his brother a dry towel from his bag. They always brought their own towels with them. Motel towels were disgusting and scratchy, and you never knew when the last time they'd actually been washed was. Better safe than sorry.

"I'll make an anonymous call to the cops. We'll use an untraceable line; I'll use the phone Laney set up for us."

"Dean, the look on her face," said Sam sadly.

Dean looked his little brother in the eye, "I know."

Sam sat down on the bed and towel dried his hair. "What about after that? We can't really hang around here to see what happens next…I can tell she's crashing."

"I think I'm going to go to the scene, see what I can find out. You and Laney hit the computer see if anything pops out at you."

Sam nodded in agreement. "I think you should leave now, before she gets out the bathroom. You know she's just going to want to come with you."

"I know, I'm leaving now," he said grabbing his keys, and looking for a dry pair of socks, "Keep an eye on her Sammy, don't let her out of your sight…I'll be back as fast as I can. Call me if anything."

"I've got it covered, Dean," said Sam, exasperated.

"I know you do."

Dean walked out of the door, locking the door behind him. Sam lay back on the bed, waiting for his sister. He wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. He couldn't even imagine how his sister was feeling.

"Where's Dean?"

Sam sat up startled. He must have dozed off. _Good job dipshit._

He quickly filled his sister in on Dean's plan. He fully expected her to be upset, but much to his surprise; she simply nodded and walked over to the window to peak out. The sky was nearly dark, and the rain continued to pour down mercilessly. If there had been any clues left behind by the killer, they had surely been washed away by now. The crap just kept piling on.

"He'll find out something," said Sam, noticing his sister's look of complete helplessness.

"Maybe," she said softly. The hot bath had warmed her up, but had the unfortunate side effect of making her very sleepy. She didn't feel like getting on her computer. She didn't feel like doing any research. She didn't feel like talking about it anymore. She just felt defeated.

She walked over to Sammy and sat down on the bed next to him and leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they settled into a comfortable silence.

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Dean's frustration level was off the charts. It took nearly 45 minutes for the police to show up once he'd called in the report of the dead body. When they did arrive and discover the body, no one really seemed to give a shit. "Just another hooker," he overheard a cop saying. Dean took a stand behind the yellow police tape trying to blend in with a crowd of nosy onlookers. Apparently even in a drenching cold rain people's natural morbid curiosity couldn't be held at bay.

A forensics team showed up, but left after less than 30 minutes. Not long after that the coroner's office van came and Dean watched as the body bag was lifted in the back. Just like that; Darla was gone.

It didn't seem like Dean was going to be able to get much information from standing around, so he formulated a quick plan and approached one of the detectives.

"The dead girl…do you know who she was?" asked Dean.

"Get back behind the yellow line, man," said the detective, he had a belly that was bulging against the buttons of his button down shirt, his tie was crooked. He was such a stereotypical cop type, that he could easily play cop#1 in a really bad cop show.

"Look, I have a sister. She's a runaway and I've been checking this area out to see if she might be here. I just want to know if it's her."

"What does she look like?" he asked, with mild interest.

"Uh…she's 15, blonde hair, blue eyes, weighs about 110."

"It's not her."

Dean breathed a fake sigh of relief. "Thank God, for that."

The detective raised any eyebrow at him. "Not that the girl's dead…I mean, I'm thankful it's not my sister…any idea what happened?" Dean knew he was pushing his luck, but in for penny, in for a pound.

"She was murdered," said the detective. "If I were you I'd get busy finding your sister and getting her off the streets."

"I'm trying," said Dean, "Why?"

The detective ran hand over his weary face. "Look, this isn't for public consumption, but we're pretty sure this is related to a string of murders that started up north in Canada. This guy is working his way down the east coast. Every couple of months a new one shows up in a dumpster, same M.O; runaway girl, prostitute, raped and strangled."

"You think he'll strike again."

"I'm sure he will, but not here in Buffalo, he keeps on the move, never the same place twice. That's why nobody has been able to get a grip on the bastard. He's probably a drifter or something. If he keeps to pattern, it'll be a couple of months before another one turns up."

"You don't seem bothered much by it," said Dean, who knew he was pushing his luck, but at the moment was upset by the guy's lack of concern.

"I'm going to let that slide, because I know you're worried about your sister. I think you should take off now."

Dean gave the detective a dirty look and stalked off.

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Laney and Sam had watched a couple of hours of mindless television. Every once in a while Laney would get up from the bed and pace around the room aimlessly, taking peeks out of the window. Sam was sure she was on the lookout for Dean. He had been gone longer than they expected.

When she wasn't staring out the window, she would go to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. She was so tired, she was shaking. Sam was worried, but he didn't know how to help her.

She had just finished her umpteenth trip around the room and sat back down next to Sam when she heard the roar of the Impala pulling up outside of the motel room. She jumped up from the bed and went to the door; Sam cutting her off before she opened it. He looked through the peephole, before unlocking and opening the door. Laney couldn't help rolling her eyes at her brother's back. Apparently opening doors was out the question.

Dean came through the door, soaking wet, and carrying a box of pizza. He handed it to his sister as he pulled off his jacket and wet shirt. She quickly placed the pizza on the table and walked back over to Dean.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

Sam looked expectantly at his brother. But Dean ignored him and grabbed a fresh towel from his bag to dry himself off. "Give me a sec." He walked into the bathroom with a fresh pair of clothes. He took his time changing. He knew his sister was going to be disappointed, again.

Laney paced outside of the bathroom door. She didn't need to be told, she could already tell the news wasn't good. She took a deep breath to steel herself. Sam came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder in support.

Dean came out of the bathroom, clean and dry. He grabbed the television remote, shut off the T.V and sat down at the table. He ran his hands through his hair before finally talking.

"There's no evidence, no clues…nothing to lead them to who the killer is," said Dean with resignation.

Laney shoulders dropped in disappointment. She expected as much, but it still hurt to hear it.

"No leads at all?"asked Sammy, as he rubbed his sister's shoulders.

"Well, the cops said they think it's related to a string of murders…a serial killer that's moving his way down the east coast from northern Canada. Apparently a body shows up every couple of months, same M.O…no clues, no evidence left behind."

Sam shook his head. He wanted so badly for his sister to get some closure. But all she got were more questions and the possibility that this was going to be the one that got away.

"But, never the same place twice right?" asked Laney, finally speaking.

Dean nodded his head, "No, baby, sorry."

She threw her hands up in defeat, "So, what now?"

Dean pursed his lips. "There's nothing else we can do right now…there aren't any leads to follow. He's probably long gone by now."

"And so Darla's murderer gets away with it." She said it more as a statement of fact than a question. They were good, but they couldn't pull evidence from thin air. They had absolutely nothing to go on.

"We'll keep following the case, look into the other cases, maybe something will show up…but there's nothing more for us to do here," he paused for a moment, looking at Sammy and back to his sister, "So we should head to Bobby's now. I called him on the way here, and he's expecting us."

"We can't leave now," said Laney.

"Why not? There's nothing else we can do here…how much longer do you think you can stay on your feet? It's been over 24 hours now, and you're a freaking mess."

"Can we just leave first thing in the morning? There are a few things I want to take care of first."

"Care to elaborate?" asked Dean, clearly annoyed at his sister.

"No, but please, I'm begging you." Dean had gotten up from his seat and was pacing the room. Laney followed after him. "It's what? A 20 hour drive to Bobby's? You guys need to get some sleep, if you're gonna drive straight through and keep me up…It's about 8 or 9 hours until morning. I can handle it."

She hoped she sounded convincing, because she wasn't even fooling herself with that thinking.

Dean rubbed at his face and looked at Sam to gauge his opinion. Sam cocked an eyebrow at him and gave him a light shrug.

"Okay, okay," he said reluctantly, throwing his hands up in defeat, "Sam and I will get some sleep. But the minute…I mean, the second you think you think you're even going to shut your eyes you wake one of us up. First light of day and we're out of here, and that's it Laney, not a second more."

Laney nodded in agreement. She planted a kiss on Dean's cheek. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." He grabbed at the pizza box and took out a slice. Sam sat down next to him, grabbing some for himself.

Laney sat back down on the bed.

"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Sam.

"Sorry, I couldn't get you any breakfast," said Dean.

Laney smiled at her brother. She was sure it wasn't for lack of trying. He always did little things to try and make her happy. She noticed, and figured that it was just better not to say anything. God forbid anyone think Dean had a heart. He wouldn't want his rep ruined.

She nodded her head, "It's okay, I'm not hungry." She was trying to not to get all weepy on Dean. She figured she'd already had enough meltdowns for the day.

Dean gave her a slight nod, "Okay." He decided there were many other things he was going to have to get all big brother about in the next day or two, so he might as well let her alone on this one.

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Laney had been so wrapped up in her computer and making phone calls that she was startled to notice the light of day peeking out from under the motel room curtains. She guessed that was a good thing. She wasn't looking forward to the drive to Bobby's.

Sam and Dean had fallen asleep not long after eating and hadn't stirred since. She was happy that at least someone was getting some rest.

She gathered up her bag and crept as silently as she could into the bathroom. She washed up and changed her clothes, opting for some comfortable lounge pants and a thermal top that belonged to Sam, it practically swallowed her whole, but it was comfortable, and she had realized that she hadn't packed much of her clothes in her rush to leave Cambridge.

She combed her hair back and put it up in a ponytail out of her face. The circles under her eyes had darkened further and her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. The more she stared at her reflection the more despair she felt until she finally started to cry. She couldn't help it. She hardly recognized the girl looking back at her in the mirror. She cried for who she had been and what she was becoming and she cried for becoming such a burden to her brothers when that was the last thing they wanted; the last thing she wanted.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Laney, you okay in there?"

It was Dean.

She quickly wiped her face. "I'm fine," she lied, "Be out in a sec."

After a moment the bathroom door opened and Dean looked at his sister. She had been crying, even though she'd been trying to hide it. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, I was just getting changed. I'm ready to go when you are."

Dean thought about pressing her, but decided to let it go. Instead he planted a kiss on her forehead and went into the bathroom, which of course only made her want to cry all over again.

Sam was getting the bags together. "Hey baby, you ready to hit the road?"

"Yeah." She took a seat on the bed. Sam eyed his thermal that his sister was wearing now. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you mind?" she asked, "It's comfy…and it smells like you and Dad." She added, slightly embarrassed.

Dad and Sam used the same cologne. It was a gift she had given to all three of the Winchester men a few years ago. Dean wasn't a cologne type of guy, but Sammy wore it because she had given it to him and it was one of the few things he took from his old life when he left to Stanford.

"Don't mind at all," smiled Sam. Laney smiled at him sadly. "If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears," he added. It was clear his sister had a lot on her mind. He'd rather her talk about it than stew over it. She was so much like Dean. He worried about how much they held things in. He knew it wasn't healthy.

"I know," she said with a sigh. She got up from the bed and put her laptop away in its bag. Now that she was ready to get on the road, she couldn't more anxious. She silently wished Dean would hurry it up.

Just then Dean came out of the bathroom dressed and ready to go. Sam walked in right after him to clean up. Laney gathered up the bags and headed for the door. The least she could do was load up the car.

"I'll take care of that," said Dean. Laney stopped and handed the bags over to her brother. He raised an eyebrow at her lack of argument.

"I have a favor to ask," she said quietly. She'd spent the whole night worried about asking her brother for one more small concession.

Dean took a deep breath. "Okay, shoot."

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The morning was gray and cold. But it had at least stopped raining in the wee hours of the morning. The streets were mostly dry by the time they drove back into downtown Buffalo. Dean pulled the Impala into a parking spot right in front of the Central Library. It was still early. The library was open. The streets were quiet, but Laney saw exactly who she was looking for and was grateful for small miracles.

Laney walked over to one of the benches facing the park in front of the library. Her brothers hung back a bit to give her some space, but stayed close enough to help if there was a problem.

"Tim?" asked Laney softly, not wanting to startle him. He was staring off into space and didn't seem to notice her coming. He turned towards her.

"Hey…Daisy, right?"

Laney smiled and nodded, "Yeah." She took a seat on the bench next to him. She turned sideways to face him and to be able to keep her brothers in her line of sight.

"I'm going to guess by the look on your face, that you know about Darla," he said grimly.

"Yeah, I know."

"I found out last night…word travels fast on the street," he laughed, though there was no humor in it.

"I'm really sorry. I know what she meant to you."

He shrugged his shoulders, staring straight ahead as he spoke, "I tried, you know, to keep her out of there…to keep her clean…but she was always so damn stubborn. She thought she was going to go down there and make some quick money hustling. She just wanted to get enough money together to get out of town…you know we were going to go to Florida, try and make a new start, get off the street."

Laney tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I know she loved you," she said, her voice cracking.

Tim finally turned to look at her. "Do you really think so?"

"Absolutely." Laney was positively sure of it, she'd felt it.

Tim eyes welled over with tears. "I loved her too…she made some bad choices…living on the streets will do that to you. But she had a good heart."

"I know."

"She wanted you to find some family, didn't she?"

"Yes," said Laney, hoping she wouldn't have to explain much more. She wasn't sure she could think on her feet at the moment.

"I wish I could see her just one more time. I just can't believe she's gone."

"Well, part of the reason I came to see you today was to let you know where Darla is going to be buried."

"How would you know that?" He said, turning to look her in the eye.

"Arrangements have all been made. The info is all in here," said Laney, handing him an envelope.

Tim opened up the envelope. "But how?" he asked confused.

"Darla meant a lot to me and…my family has some connections. I just didn't want her to be buried in some random grave where no one would ever know to go visit. She deserves more than that."

Tim nodded in agreement.

"What are these phone numbers here?" He asked pulling out a sheet of paper.

"That first one is for a guy I know, his name is Brian Waller. If you call him, he can set you up with a job, help you out. I told him about you and Darla and he wants to help."

Tim shook his emphatically. "That's too much, I don't even know you. Why are you helping me?"

Laney sighed. Why would he think anyone would help him? These kids out on the street were all lost and forgotten; no one giving them the time of day. "Because, I think that you deserve better than you think…and because I think Darla would want you to do something with your life. Her chance is gone. Maybe you can honor her memory this way."

Tim ran a hand over his face. "Thank you."

Laney laughed softly, "Don't get too excited. The job is in Boston. It's not exactly Florida."

"I'll take it; I don't care where it is. It's a chance…no one has ever given me a chance."

"I was happy to do it."

"I don't know who you really are, but-"

"What do you mean?"

"Daisy? Really? And your brothers are Bo and Luke?"

Laney smiled. She knew where this was going. "Yeah, that's right."

"Right, and my name is Uncle Jesse. I'm a fan of the Dukes of Hazard too."

Laney laughed.

Tim smiled and then looked at her seriously, "Whoever you are, your secret is safe with me."

She gave him her million dollar smile before she stood up, "I really have to go now. We have to get on the road."

Tim stood up, and put his hand out to shake Laney's. Instead she gave him a hug and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "The other number in there is mine. If you have any kind of trouble, doesn't matter what it is or what time of day or night, you call that number. We can help."

Tim nodded, putting the envelope in his pocket. He turned and walked away. Laney watched him until he rounded a corner and disappeared. She hoped that he really would take the opportunity to change his life. She was happy to find some good out of a really bad situation.

With a heavy sigh, Laney rejoined her brothers, who had watched the whole scene. They both had expressions of pride and wonder on their faces. Their baby sister was a special person.

"What?" she asked shyly. She was pretty sure she was turning red.

Sam smiled and put an arm around her. Dean placed a kiss on her temple. "You ready to hit the road, short stuff."

"Yes, I am. Let's get to Bobby's."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"How are you doing?" Sam asked his little sister. Laney was sitting between him and Dean. They were still in New York State and heading south towards Bobby's place.

Laney sighed. "I'm freaking tired. I don't know how I'm going to do it. There's a reason sleep deprivation is a method of torture."

"We'll do everything we can," said Dean, sparing his sister a worried glance before looking back on the road.

Laney nodded. "I swear to God, I will never take sleep for granted ever again."

Sam huffed a laugh. "I'll bet not." He reached over and ruffled his sister's hair. She was nervously chewing on her bottom lip.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Nothing," she sighed, "Everything."

Sam and Dean exchanged a worried glance.

"You can talk to us you know," offered Sam.

"It's really driving me crazy that we didn't catch this guy."

"It happens sometimes," said Dean.

"But I thought you two always get the bad guys."

Dean smiled, "We're good, but every once in a while there's one that gets away."

Laney leaned her head back against the seat.

"I promise that we'll keep on it…keep looking into it. Okay?"

"I know," she said. And she meant it. She knew that Dean had to be just as bothered as she was about the one that got away. He wouldn't give up so easily.

"What you did back there, for that kid Tim…that was really awesome," said Dean, with a tinge of pride in his voice.

Laney looked down at her lap, blushing. "It was no big deal. I'm pretty sure I committed several federal crimes though. I hope you'll visit me in the slammer when they finally catch up to me."

Sam laughed, "Of course we will."

"Yeah, I'll bring you pecan waffles and Dukes of Hazard on DVD," added Dean.

Laney laughed. "Is this where you start making fun of me for my love of old television shows? I can't help it."

"I think it's freakin' cute," chuckled Dean.

"Well, there wasn't much else to do when you guys were out hunting, but read and watch really old and bad television in all those crappy motels with no cable," said Laney.

Sam looked over at Laney; he couldn't be sure, but he thought he might have detected a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

"Not that I'm complaining," she said, when she noticed Sam's look.

Dean looked between Sam and Laney feeling like he had just missed something.

Laney leaned her head back against the seat again; a wave of dizziness and nausea washing over her. It was probably the third time it had happened since they'd left Buffalo. She figured it was withdrawal from the Adderall. She didn't feel like mentioning it to her brothers. She was causing enough trouble as it was.

Sam looked at his sister as she had suddenly gone quiet. He noticed her face had gone extremely pale and she was sweating.

"Hey, Laney, what's wrong?"

 _Damn, I really should have sat in the backseat where they couldn't see my every move._

Dean took one look at his sister and pulled the Impala over to the side of the road. He put the car and park and turned in his seat to face her.

Laney opened her eyes to look at her brother. "It's nothing, Dean. I just got a little dizzy."

Sam wiped the sweat from his sister's face with the sleeve of his shirt. "You sure? You don't look good."

"Thanks for the kind words," said Laney sarcastically, "You know a month of no sleep and kicking the bucket fifteen times will do that to you."

Dean gave his sister a flustered look. "Laney, it's time to get serious. No screwing around. If you're not being honest with us about how your feeling, it's really just going to piss me off."

"Yeah, and no one likes a pissed off Dean," said Sam.

Laney rolled her eyes; which took more energy than it should have.

"I've been getting dizzy on and off and I feel a little nauseous."

"You've hardly eaten anything," said Sam.

"We'll find some place to stop," said Dean. He was feeling completely powerless in helping his sister; the least he could do was get her some food.

"It's going to take a lot more than food to fix me," muttered Laney under her breath.

"What was that?" asked Dean, even though he'd heard his sister clearly.

"Just feeling sorry for myself." She felt like she was on a rollercoaster, up and down, her moods and emotions all over the place. It wasn't like her and she hated it.

"You know, you can't control what's happening to you. It's okay to be scared and it's okay to be pissed," said Sam. He knew what he was talking about.

"We wouldn't think any less of you," added Dean. He knew his sister. She didn't like to show her weaknesses. She always had to be in control.

"What if he's after me? Yellow-eyes." said Laney, finally giving voice to one of her biggest worries.

Dean rubbed his hands through his hair. He'd been asking himself the same question practically every five minutes since they'd gotten the first phone call that Laney was in trouble.

"I don't know," answered Dean, "And even if he is, he's never going to get you. Neither one of you." He was never going to let that yellow eyed bastard get his hands on his brother and sister.

Sam took a deep breath. "You know, baby, my visions…when I get them, they've always been related to one of the other special children. I haven't had any about you, so maybe that means something."

"Maybe," said Laney. She'd come to that conclusion a while back. She just hadn't been sure that Sam would tell her if he'd had a vision involving her. But she could tell he was telling the truth to her now. "Those kids are all the same age as you and they all have some kind of gift. I don't have any gifts. Unless experiencing other people's deaths is supposed to be useful somehow."

Sam was a little surprised by her tone. Despite what she was saying; that yellow eyes had nothing to do with what was happening to her; something in her voice betrayed her words. He wondered what more there was that she wasn't telling. He decided he was going to have a discussion with Dean about it when they were in private.

"I think it's a little premature to be having this discussion anyway. Let's just get to Bobby's and see what his person says. Let's not worry until we need to," said Dean.

"Easier said than done," said Laney.

Dean didn't say anything. He put the car in drive and got back on the road. It was a good 40 miles until the nearest rest stop. Until then they had nothing but their thoughts to keep them occupied.

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"So, what will it be?" asked Dean, "Waffles? Pancakes?"

They were sitting in yet another non-descript diner in the middle of nowhere.

"I'm –uh…" Laney was about to say she wasn't hungry, but thought better of it. She wasn't up to a fight. "Ham and cheese omelet," she answered.

Dean smiled at her, pleased that she wasn't trying to weasel her way out of eating something.

"Scoot, Sammy," said Laney. She was sitting against the booth window, next to her brother. "I need to make a bathroom run."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. Laney sighed dramatically, "Really…It's the bathroom…do I need an escort?"

Dean gave her a dirty look, but nodded his head at Sam to let her out.

Laney pointed in the direction of the restrooms. "Look, you can see everyone that comes in or out from our table." She knew she was being kind of bratty, but she was irritable and cranky. It was hard to keep perspective that her brothers were just looking out for her.

"Make it snappy," said Dean.

She reached over Sam's lap and grabbed her bag. Dean eyed her suspiciously. Laney noticed, she rolled her eyes, but decided to forget the bag. She didn't need him thinking the worst of her, even though it was all her fault. Just like that, she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She abruptly turned and headed for the restroom.

When she reached the restroom there was a sign on the door stating it was closed and to use the restrooms around the back of the restaurant. She looked back towards the table to signal to her brothers she was going to use a different one, but they were deep in discussion and not looking her way. She could have easily walked over and told them, but some little part of her was feeling angry and resentful. She wanted to be able to take care of herself. She wasn't a kid anymore.

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"She's not telling us everything," said Dean, fully expecting Sam to disagree.

"No, she's not."

Dean raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"What?"

"Did she tell you something I don't know about?" Dean demanded.

"Dean, no. She hasn't told me anything you don't already know. I just… I don't know...I get the feeling something's not right."

"Well of course, something's not right! She can't close her eyes with buying the farm!"

"Dean, keep your voice down. What I meant is that there's more to this that she's not telling us. I just feel it in my bones."

Dean took a deep breath, "Do we make her talk?"

"Like that's going to work. She's exhausted, she's scared…she's withdrawing from those pills. I don't think it's a good idea to push her. You know how she is."

"Yeah, I know. She'll just shut down."

Sam nodded in agreement.

"Doesn't mean I don't want to shake her till she talks."

"I know."

"Even with all that, she's still pretty awesome," said Dean, changing the topic, "What she did for that kid."

"She felt responsible for him."

"She shouldn't though."

"I think it's just a Winchester thing."

Dean smiled. That's not a bad thing.

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The sky outside was darkening again with the threat of rain. It looked more like evening than just before noon. Laney didn't mind so much. She loved the rain. She could spend hours watching the rain fall and never get bored. She found it incredibly soothing.

She found the bathroom which was attached to the back of the diner and next to the truck stop. She looked around observing her surroundings, like the way she'd been trained by her father. She noticed a man standing outside of his truck about 15 feet away. He was slim build, average height, dark hair, jeans and a grease stained t-shirt. He looked like every other trucker she'd ever seen. He was looking right at her. She nodded a hello at him and quickly walked into the restroom. She felt a chill go through her. But she thought it had more to do with her mood than any real danger. In and out, she thought, then go eat as much as I can stomach and get to Bobby's. She quickly did her thing and walked to the sink to splash some water on her face. She heard the door opening behind her, but assumed it was someone else coming to use the restroom. She was startled when she looked up in the mirror and saw the man from the truck staring back at her, a look in his eyes that she didn't need any training to understand; he was there to do bad things to her.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly did a mental rundown of everything she'd been taught about self defense. _Let him think he has the upper hand and then strike, stay cool and calm._ Laney turned around to face him.

"What are you doing in here? This is the Ladies room," she asked calmly.

"A pretty little thing like you could get hurt in a place like this. I was checking to make sure you were okay in here."

"Well, I appreciate the concern, but I'm good. My brothers are probably already waiting for me outside."

"Those two fellas you came in with? No, I don't think so. They're still sitting in the diner."

Laney's heart froze. He'd been watching her.

"Well then I need to get back before they miss me."

She took a step in his direction to walk around him, but he blocked her way, stepping back against the door, effectively cutting off her only route of escape.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, as she took quick stock of the bathroom, looking for anything she could use as a weapon. There were two stalls, one sink, and a large metal trash can in the corner of the room. There wasn't much, but there was a least enough space to maneuver around a bit. She could put up a pretty good fight if she had to. She was small, but Dean and her father had taught her how to use that to her advantage.

"Oh, come on. I just want to get to know you a little. You're very pretty you know…and I bet you're really sexy under all those clothes."

"I'm going to start screaming if you don't let me pass."

"Go ahead, I like screamers," he sneered.

He started walking towards her and she backed away. He reeked of body odor, cigarettes, and beer. When he had her nearly pinned against the wall, she decided it was her time to strike. She punched him square in the throat. He yelped with shock and pain. Laney took the chance to dart around him, almost making it to the door before he grabbed her arm and yanked her back hard, sending her down to the floor.

"Help!" She began screaming, losing all rational thought, "Please help me!" Laney thought it was futile. Aside from this guy, she hadn't seen a soul out in the parking lot. Her only hope was that Dean or Sam would notice something soon.

Her attacker pinned her down against the hard concrete of the bathroom floor, before she could get up. Laney kicked and struggled with all her might out of instinct, before she regained her calm. She knew she was going to wear herself out and her father had taught her that 90 percent of the time her brains would get her out of a bad situation over muscles. She didn't have the physical strength to outdo an attacker this size. So she stilled beneath him.

Her attacker clearly thought he had the upper hand. "See, that's better. I'm not so bad honey." He was rubbing his hand up and down Laney's leg. She had to swallow hard to keep from vomiting. "I can show you a really good time."

"I won't fight you," said Laney, calmly, "You're bigger and stronger than me. I'll go anywhere you want me to."

If she could just get outside, it would better her chances.

"Oh, this here is just fine. I promise I'll let you go…I'm not going to hurt you." He placed a disgusting, wet kiss on her neck.

It took all her will not to turn her neck away. She had to let him think she was going along with his plan. She couldn't help the tears that were beginning to fall from her eyes. She started to concentrate on Dean and Sam as if she could will them with her mind to come and save her in case she couldn't save herself.

He hefted himself up on his knees, keeping his hands on Laney's arms to pin her down. He realized he was going to have to let one of her arms go if he was going to get anything done. The second he took his hand off Laney's arm, she reared up with all of her strength, sending her attacker off balance and into the trash bin. She stood up and gave him a good solid kick to the groin before spinning on her heels, and then tripping over his legs. He was doubled over, but managed to yank her back by her long hair that had spilled out of its ponytail. He pulled her around and punched her right in the eye, even with his diminished strength, it was enough to send her to her knees, and briefly into darkness, her thoughts on how pissed her brothers were going to be.

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Dean looked towards the restroom. His sister was taking an awfully long time to do her business. Sam followed Dean's eyes to the restroom doors. He was thinking the same thing.

"Should I?" asked Sam.

"Give her one more minute and then I'll go," said Dean.

"Okay…I-"

"What's wrong?" asked Dean, when Sam stopped abruptly.

Sam felt the familiar sensation at the back of his head, followed by a flash of light; his brother's face went out of focus.

Dean knew immediately when he saw his brother's eyes what was happening.

"Aw, Jesus now is not the time for this shit," said Dean. He knew he just had to wait for Sam to come out of it. He quickly got up from his spot and sat next to him, hoping he wouldn't draw any attention.

It lasted less than five seconds, before the room came into focus again and Sam looked into his brother's face with horrified eyes, "Laney."

With that one word, Dean jumped up from the booth, Sam right behind him. Dean's eyes grew wide when he saw the notice on the door. "Oh, shit."

They took off at a run outside, making a beeline for the restroom. Dean pulled his gun from the waistband of his pants.

Laney faded between darkness and light for a few seconds before fully regaining her senses. Her attacker was up on his feet again, with murder in his eyes. He was furious. Any thoughts of raping her out of his mind, he was going to kill her and he was going to make it hurt.

Realizing this was it, she staggered to her feet, trying to think of her next move. He came at her with full speed, knocking her into the wall and wrapping his hands around her throat. He whispered into her ear, "Now, you've made me mad. I'm not going to play nice anymore."

Laney stiffened, straight as a board. The voice and the words, she recognized immediately. She had never seen the man's face before, but she remembered his voice, his smell, and his last words, which she hadn't shared with her brothers, because she never thought it mattered. How could it be? The chances of this happening; this was the man that had killed Darla and countless other women.

Laney sucked in as deep of a breath as she could before he began to squeeze. The familiarity of it was startling. For a brief moment she wondered if she had somehow fallen asleep and this was happening to someone else. But she caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was definitely happening to her.

He squeezed her throat with all his might. Laney knew in about 30 seconds she would be dead. And she was pissed. She began kicking and fighting. She couldn't go out like this. Dean and Sam would never forgive her.

The door to the bathroom suddenly swung open, startling her attacker. He dropped his hands sending Laney to her knees, where she began taking deep breaths between coughs. She looked up to notice Dean, who spared her a brief glance before throwing himself at her attacker. Dean was blinded by fury. He punched the guy several times. Sam was right behind him. When he noticed Dean had the situation under control, he directed his attention to his sister. "Baby, are you okay?"

Laney nodded. "Stop Dean," she croaked out. Sam looked over and noticed Dean with his gun cocked and aimed at the guys head. It appeared he was knocked out cold.

Sam walked up to his brother, "Dean, you can't, it can come back to us."

"It's him," whispered Laney. Her voice was cracking from the strangling.

Dean looked over at his sister, the left side of her face was swelling and red, and her neck was bruising already. He pushed the gun more firmly against the attacker's temple.

"Dean, no… It's him…it's him…the killer. Darla's killer. He's the serial killer."

Sam looked at Laney. "Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent sure."

Sam and Dean looked at each other. Dean wanted nothing more than to kill the man right then and there. He knew what would have happened to his sister if he had been just seconds later. But killing him might be too kind. Dean pulled the keys out his jacket pocket and threw them to Sam. "Go get some rope."

Sam looked back and forth between Laney and Dean, deciding that as long as his sister was there, Dean wouldn't do anything too stupid.

Sam walked to the Impala as quickly and casually as he could, putting some rope in a bag and slinging it around his shoulder and walking back to the bathroom. He was glad to see when he re-entered the bathroom that everything was the way he left it.

Sam handed Dean the rope. "Help me tie him up," said Dean.

Less than a minute later, Darla's killer, who had killed numerous other women, and who had come within minutes of adding Laney to his list, was hog tied.

Dean called 911 from Laney's untraceable phone and told them he had a serial killer in custody. He gave them some details from the most recent slaying in Buffalo. He led his brother and sister out of the restroom, locking the door behind him and putting up an Out of Order sign. They quickly walked to the Impala and got the hell out of town.

Dean drove as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself. Last thing they needed was to get pulled over.

"How did you know I was in trouble?" asked Laney, her voice still coming out raspy.

"Sammy had a vision," said Dean reluctantly.

Laney's eyes widened in shock, "Are you okay Sammy?"

"I'm fine," he answered, putting his arm around his sister to comfort her.

"Don't lie," said Dean.

"I'm not. There was no pain," he said, not able to keep the surprise out of his voice.

Dean gave him a questioning look.

"It wasn't like the usual visions. There wasn't any pain. I saw Laney in trouble and calling out for help. That's it."

Dean rolled his eyes towards the sky. _Could this shit get any freaking weirder?_

Laney nodded at her brother, wincing at the pain in her neck and the pressure that was building up in her cheek. She was shaking now that the adrenaline rush was leaving her body. She'd just been nearly added to the notch on a serial killer's belt. Her brother had a vision of her in trouble; a vision that didn't send him to his knees in pain. Everything was making less and less sense.

Dean noticed his sister's pallor and shaking. She was going into shock. Dean pulled off on to a side road, feeling he'd put enough distance between them and the diner.

Dean and Sam both stepped out the Impala. Dean came around to the passenger door.

"Laney, look at me."

She turned her eyes up to her brother. "Are you okay? Did he-"

"No, I fought back. Just like you and Dad taught me. I remember what you guys taught me. I didn't forget," she sputtered out, "I'm not completely worthless."

Dean let go of the breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. "What are you talking about?"

"It's just one screw up after another for me," she answered. She was shaking violently. Dean pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around his sister to warm her up. He knelt down in front of her.

Laney looked up at her brother and saw nothing but barely restrained fury in his face. She broke down. She sobbed for a good 10 minutes; Dean and Sam both offering words of comfort and taking turns holding her. When she seemed all cried out, Dean took the opportunity to examine her injuries. He gingerly touched the bruises on her neck and her face. He pulled an ice pack from the cooler in the trunk.

"Put this on that eye," he instructed. He turned his attention to Sam. "You okay?"

"I'm good, Dean."

"What do you think it means?" whispered Laney. Her brothers turned to look at her.

"What are you talking about, baby?" asked Sam.

"Your vision of me," she sniffled.

"I don't know."

"Yellow-eyes," she whispered.

"Laney, we don't know that. We don't know what the hell is going on!" yelled Dean, who kicked the tire on his beloved car. He was angry and scared.

"Dean, chill out."

Dean took a deep breath. "Let's get the hell out of here and to Bobby's before anything else happens."

They all got in the car and drove off, tension filling the air. Laney had grown more tired than she had ever been. She wanted to curl up in a ball and be dead to the world. She didn't want to feel anything anymore. She wanted the nightmare to end.

The Winchesters had finally put some serious miles behind them, driving for several hours, stopping only to refill the car with gas and ply Laney with coffee and Red Bull. The monotonous drive and the roar of the Impala's engine were only lulling her to sleep. More than once Sam or Dean had to shake her awake as her eyes drifted closed.

They were only 6 or 7 hours from Bobby's place. Laney thought it might as well be 600 or 700 hours for all the good it was doing her. She was too the point where she didn't care if she fell asleep and had to die again. What she was experiencing now was the worst kind of torture imaginable to her.

They pulled into a gas station to fill up the car. Sam finally convinced Dean to trade places and let him drive the last stretch. Dean was getting very tired at the wheel. He didn't think he was capable of sleep though, and it seemed entirely cruel to go to sleep when his sister couldn't.

Dean escorted his little sister to the restroom. He went in first and inspected it for any prowlers before letting his sister in and standing guard outside the door. Laney splashed some cold water on her face, and combed her hair. Her left eye was pretty swollen, but all the ice Dean had her hold on it had kept it from completely swelling shut. It was going to be quite the shiner though. Her neck was bruised too. Outside of New York, she had stopped and changed into an oversized hoodie to hide the bruises. She was afraid of any question that might be raised. She kept her head down low and a knit hat pulled over her hair in an attempt not to draw attention to herself.

Dean was feeling guilty. He hadn't said much since leaving the diner in New York. He was afraid of losing his temper again. He was upset that his sister had gone off on her own and not told them about the bathroom change. But he was even more upset that he hadn't even noticed that she had gone off. He'd come too freaking close to losing her.

She came out of the restroom. "Go ahead back to the car, I'm going to use the can," he said more gruffly than he intended.

Laney nodded. Dean waited until he saw she was with Sam before he went in.

"Hey, baby, how ya' holding up?" asked Sam.

"Not well," she answered, too tired to lie.

"We're close, now…you just got a hang on a little longer."

"I don't think I care anymore."

Sam frowned. "You don't mean that."

"I do mean it, Sammy, I don't care. I just want to sleep. I just want to not be in my skin for a few minutes."

He gave her a sympathetic look. There was nothing he could do at the moment to help her other than let her vent her frustration.

"Dean's really pissed off at me."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's pissed. He thinks that what happened to me in the bathroom is my fault. I can tell. He thinks I was stupid and reckless."

"Did he say that to you?"

"He doesn't have to."

"Laney, I don't think you give him enough credit."

"Forget it Sammy. I know. You were gone for over three years. I spent every waking minute with him while you were gone. You think I don't know what's going on inside his head."

Sam sighed. She clearly had some issues with his going off to college that she had never brought up. Now, with her fatigue she wasn't able to keep up the shield she usually did. This was pure, raw emotion coming from his little sister.

"He's mad at himself."

"I know that," she snapped.

Sam let it slide. She was on edge. She couldn't help it. She started to cry again. How she had any tears left in her, she didn't know. She'd probably cried more in the last 2 days than she had in her whole life. Sam reached out to her and pulled her close.

He noticed Dean walking quickly over to them. Sam put his hand out to motion his brother to stay cool and that everything was okay.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay, baby. You don't anything to feel sorry about."

"But I do. I'm sorry. You guys didn't want this. You didn't want this burden."

"What burden?" asked Sam confused.

"I went off to college so you guys wouldn't have to be burdened by me. So you wouldn't have to worry about me. So you'd be able to do your thing without me in the way and here I am, not even a year later and causing all this trouble. I suck."

"What gave you the idea that we didn't want you around?" asked Sam, looking at Dean.

"Dad."

Sam's eyes narrowed.

Dean walked over to his sister. "Laney, what are you saying?"

She pulled away from Sam, startled that Dean was there. She hadn't even noticed he'd returned.

"Dad told me that you guys wanted me away. He said you told him that you couldn't concentrate on tracking yellow-eyes if you had me tagging along. He said you didn't know how to tell me, so he thought I should just go off to school. That it would make it easier on everyone and you wouldn't feel guilty about it."

Sam was beyond furious. Their father had lied to her. He had lied to them.

"Dad told us that you wanted to go off to school. That you didn't want this life," said Sam.

"That's not true. What else would I want to do with my life? What would I be without you guys? I don't need college. There wasn't anything they could teach me that I don't already know."

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat. He'd spent eight miserable months away from his little sister because their father had manipulated them into getting what he wanted. Worst of all, Laney had spent that whole time believing they didn't want her around.

"Why would Dad lie?" asked Laney.

"He probably just wanted to keep you safe," offered Dean.

"In case you hadn't noticed, the safest place for me is with you and Sammy."

Sam smiled at his sister's complete and utter faith in them. They were going to have to deal with Dad some other time; wherever he was and whenever he decided to show his face again.

"Sweetheart, all you need to know is that Sam and I never tried to get rid of you. I'm sure it's all some kind of misunderstanding."

Laney smiled through her tears, "I'm so glad to hear you say it. I don't want to go back to school."

"Let's not worry about all that right now….right now we need to get back on the road. At this rate, we'll never get to Bobby's."

Laney chuckled softly, wiping at her eyes. It was true. They couldn't afford any more delays.

Getting into the car, Dean and Sam exchanged looks that said they needed to have a serious discussion.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Dean's shoulders slumped in relief. They were just minutes away from Bobby's place. The last 6 hours had been tense and difficult, to say the least. Laney went from a weeping emotional mess to strangely calm to irritable and cranky to inconsolable again. The boys were on pins and needles wondering what was going to happen next. It wasn't her fault. But that didn't make it any easier.

For her part, Laney was well aware of what a pain in the ass she was being. Her brain was working overtime, analyzing and processing everything that had happened in the last month, especially everything that had transpired over the last 24 hours. She wasn't used to being so emotional. She preferred to bury her feelings deep; being emotional only got a person in trouble, just like what was happening now. She sat up straighter in her seat as Bobby's junkyard came into view. She immediately felt a little bit lighter. She'd really missed him. He had always been like a surrogate father to her and the Winchester Boys, but the two of them especially had a special, if not confusing bond. Bobby was surly and irritable, like a grizzly bear. But when Laney was around he was like a little fluffy puppy. They got along like peas and carrots. Sam and Dean thought it was one of those inexplicable mysteries of life.

Bobby must have heard the roar of the Impala approaching. He was already out the door and on his porch as they pulled up. He walked down to meet them as the exited the car. One look at Laney and Bobby couldn't hide the shock on his face. The left side of her face was bruised and her eye looked near swollen shut. She was an overall mess. He wasn't used to seeing her like that. She was always so well put together. He took a sharp breath, his shock quickly switching to sympathy and then outright anger. He wanted to get hands on the son of a bitch who was putting her through this hell. Bobby and his wife never had any children. The Winchester kids were the closest thing he had to his own. But Dean was 10 years old and Sam 6 years old already when he met them; Laney was a baby and he'd bonded with her from the beginning and had felt privileged to watch her grow up. She was exactly the kind of daughter he would have wished for.

Laney smiled big, wincing at the soreness of her face. "Bobby," she said warmly, "I'm so happy to see you."

Bobby pulled her into a big hug, giving Sam and Dean a concerned look.

"Sweet cheeks, it's been too long," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Laney figured that her brothers must have called ahead and filled him in on the events of the last day. He hadn't asked her what happened to her face.

"I know," she said. The last time she'd seen him was 9 months ago, not long before she had gone off to school. He'd sent her a random e-mail here and there, but they hadn't talked much.

"Boys," said Bobby, giving Sam and Dean each a quick hug.

"Is she here?" asked Dean, cutting right to the chase.

Bobby excused his rudeness, knowing he was just worried. "She'll be here any minute now. She got caught up helping out some other hunters, but she's on her way."

Dean nodded. "Good."

Laney walked over to stand in front of everyone. "Are you going to tell me who _she_ is?"

All three men exchanged a look. Dean gave Bobby a slight nod.

"Her name is Pamela Barnes. She's an old friend of mine, and a very gifted psychic. If there is some kind of supernatural mojo going on, she'll be the one to figure it out."

Laney sighed and nodded, "If you say so." She pulled open the screen door and walked into Bobby's house. She felt immediately relaxed. She had spent many, many days and nights in Bobby's house. It was, like the Impala, the closest thing to an actual home she'd ever had.

Dean looked over at Sam, nodding towards the car. "Yeah, we're going to grab the bags and stuff," said Sam.

Laney rolled her eyes. She knew well enough that they'd been dying to get some time without her so they could talk about her situation and all the other million issues that had popped up over the last few days. She ignored them and sat down on the well worn couch in Bobby's living room, she kicked her feet up on the old worn coffee table that had at one time, been a casket.

Bobby came inside. His heart was breaking for Laney. He didn't like to see her hurt or suffering. She had always been a ray of sunshine in his otherwise bleak existence. She should be smiling, laughing, and making jokes with him right now or digging through his extensive library of books on the supernatural; which reminded him of something.

"Someone, if I'm not mistaken, just turned 17."

Laney smiled. "You're about a month late."

"I know, I know. I have a gift for you, but I didn't want to send it in the mail. Don't trust the US Postal Service…bunch of idjit's," he grumbled as he walked over to one of the bookshelves. He pulled down a gift wrapped package.

Laney tried to stifle a giggle. He'd obviously done it himself. It was the sloppiest wrapping job she'd seen, next to Dean's anyway. And Dean usually wrapped gifts in newspaper. This was really pretty glossy actual wrapping paper.

"This is for you," he said, handing the package to her.

She opened the package slowly and let out a small squeal. "Oh, thank you Bobby!" It was a very rare book on vampires that she had mentioned a few years ago. She'd desperately wanted to get her hands on it. It was extremely rare but it was supposed to be the oldest source of actual information on vampires. Not just lore, but facts. The fact that Bobby had not only remembered it, but managed to get his hands on it made tears spring to her eyes.

"Bobby, thank you really," she said again, jumping up to give him a heartfelt hug.

Bobby awkwardly patted her on the back, glad that she couldn't see that he was blushing a deep red.

She sat back down and turned the pages, briefly skimming it over. She wasn't in any state to read it at the moment, especially if she wanted to actually retain the information. She pretended to read it anyway. She wasn't up for conversation with Bobby, as much as she loved him, at the moment she just didn't have anything she wanted to say.

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"Okay, now that we're here, I'm really freaking out." Sam said, looking towards the house.

"Why?" asked Dean.

"What if this Pamela woman can't help her? What if nothing we do can help her? And why the hell hasn't Dad shown up?"

"Dude, slow down, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We gotta take it one step at a time. No use, in getting worked up until we have to."

Sam shook his head at Dean, "That was weird."

"What?"

"That was like a role reversal, me freaking out and you calming me down…isn't it usually the other way around?"

"Yeah, well don't get used to it."

Sam leaned up against the trunk of the car and sighed. "What about Dad?"

"I called and left him a million messages. I don't know if he's getting them or what."

"I'm not talking about that, I mean more of what the hell was he thinking when he told Laney we didn't want her around and made her go off to school?"

Dean rubbed his hands through his hair. This was a conversation he had not been looking forward to having with his little brother. Dad was a touchy subject.

"I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Are you really going to defend him?" Sam demanded loudly, "Dean, he made her think we wanted to get rid of her. She got in trouble and she didn't call us and look what happened. That's Dad's fault. "

"I know why you're angry Sam, I really do. I'm not happy about it either. But I'm sure his intentions were good."

Sam nodded his head in disbelief. "You're unbelievable. You're always defending him. Good little soldier, taking his orders without question."

Dean got up in Sam's face. "And you are always making him out to be the bad guy!"

"When I left for school, he told me not to come back!"

"I thought you were over that. I thought you two talked it out."

"This isn't about me. This is about Laney. She's different. She's the baby. She's only 17...he lied to us, he lied to her and manipulated us to get his way. If this is what he wanted he should have been a man about it and told us straight up!"

Dean closed his eyes. He understood his brother's anger. It was absolutely warranted. He was angry himself. But he just wouldn't let himself believe that his father wasn't trying to act in their best interests, even if he'd gone about it the wrong way. Dean was absolutely sure his father loved his children more than believed everything he did was out of a desire to keep them safe. But he was a man, not a god, and he made mistakes like the rest of them.

"Sam now is not the time for this. We have a little sister in there that needs us to have our heads in the game. She's the priority. All this other shit we can work out later. Okay?"

Sam pounded his fist on the trunk of the car. He took a deep breath to calm himself. His brother was right; now was not the time. Before he could respond to Dean he noticed a car coming up the driveway. They immediately took up defensive stances as they watched the car pulled up next to them. Inside was a very attractive woman who appeared to be in her 30's. Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Bobby, you sly dog," muttered Dean under his breath.

She got out of the car and approached the boys. "You must be Sam and Dean," she said. Dean raised his eyebrow again. She had a sexy, smoky voice and he couldn't help but notice how nicely she filled out her very tight jeans.

"And you are?" asked Dean, putting on the charm and giving her his best smile.

"Pamela Barnes," she smiled knowingly. She already had this kid's number; slick, sly, good looking, and completely aware of it. She reached out a hand and shook both of their hands.

Dean immediately switched gears. She was hot. But this was business. "The psychic," he said, sounding more like an accusation than a statement of fact. Dean knew psychics had their uses, but he didn't trust them too much and he sure as hell didn't like them poking around in his brain.

"Yes," she answered, "But I don't read minds or thoughts in the way that you think I do. I read energies, consult with spirits. I can connect with and talk to the other side" she paused, "And other things."

Dean snorted, "And how is this going to help our sister?"

Pamela shook her head. Bobby had warned her that Dean was a tough nut and was bound to give her grief. She hadn't needed the warning though. The Winchesters were very well known on the hunting circuit. She had heard plenty.

Sam gave her an apologetic look. She smiled at him. She'd pretty much figured out the sibling dynamic from the get go.

"How about we go inside and I'll tell you all about what I can do?" She said, as if speaking to a child.

Dean shrugged his shoulders, "Fine, ladies first."

Sam rolled his eyes when he noticed Dean staring at her ass as she walked ahead of them. Some things never change.

Laney was sitting in one of the arm chairs in Bobby's office area slash living room, flipping through the pages of some old looking text. Bobby was sitting across from her. Dean frowned. It was obvious she wasn't talking to him either. She looked up at Dean, lifting up the book to show him, "Look what Bobby got me for my birthday; vampires."

Dean raised an eyebrow knowingly. He'd remembered Laney wanting a particular book on vampires. Bobby must have called in some serious markers to get his hands on it. He was impressed, although not surprised. Bobby would walk through fire if he thought it would make his sister happy. It did however make Dean feel more like shit for not getting her a gift for her birthday. He had the best intentions, but he and Sam had been sidetracked. He'd make up for it eventually.

Sam walked up to Laney taking the book from his sister. He loved research and books as much as she did. "Cool."

"I know."

He handed it back to her. She looked around him and noticed a woman standing in the hall. Bobby followed her gaze. "Pamela! It's good to see you." He jumped up from his seat and gave her a big hug.

Laney stood up. So this was the woman who was supposed to help her get answers. Laney sized her up. She was tall, attractive, and she had an infectious smile. She was surprised to realize that she liked her immediately and already felt at ease. She was never big on psychics. Probably something she picked up from Dean.

Sam put an arm round his sister's shoulder for support. She looked ready to fall over at any moment.

"Pam, this is Delaney Winchester," said Bobby, walking over to her and introducing them.

"You can call me Laney," she said, reaching out her hand. Pamela gave her a strong shake, her hand lingering in hers. She turned her head to the side, as if trying to listen to some invisible speaker. A small shock passed between the two, like electricity, surprising Laney. From the look on Pamela's face, it wasn't a normal occurance. She frowned, but when she looked at Laney she smiled again. Laney again, felt completely at ease.

Sam looked over at Dean. Something strange had just happened. He could feel it. Dean shrugged a shoulder at him.

"Well, Laney," said Pamela, ready to get right to business, "Are you ready to get started?"

Laney's heartbeat quickened. As much as she wanted answers, she was panicking. She wasn't ready. "Actually, I was hoping that maybe I could grab a quick shower?"

"Are you nuts?" asked Dean. Bobby gave him a scolding look. Which Dean promptly ignored.

"Dean, I've been in a car for the last 24 hours, I just want to get freshened up. Please."

"Dude, it's what? Another 15 or 20 minutes," interjected Sam. He knew his sister was stalling, but he understood. He wanted to give her every opportunity to get herself together.

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes," said Dean, "You'll just pass out and while I'm willing do pretty much anything for you, I'm not really interested in sitting in the bathroom while you shower." He shivered.

"Pamela will make sure I'm okay," offered Laney, surprising herself.

The three male sets of eyes in the room raised. Laney did not trust people lightly; she either really felt at ease with this woman, or she was so tired she just didn't care.

Pamela smiled. "Of course, I will," she said, grabbing Laney's hand and leading her towards the upstairs bathroom, "Just leave us two ladies alone for a bit and we'll be back down before you know it."

Laney let Pamela lead her up the stairs to the small bathroom that she had used since she was a baby. It was attached to the spare room that she had slept in all of these years whenever they were staying with Bobby. The bathroom was in the middle of two adjoining rooms. The boys used the other one and she had her own, even if she made them keep the bathroom doors open at night.

Laney excused herself, undressing behind the door and leaving it slightly ajar before stepping into the shower. She could sense Pamela's presence just outside the door. She was grateful that she was giving her more privacy than Dean would have granted. She needed the shower to give herself time to steel herself for what was to come. For as at ease as she felt with Pamela, there were some things that she didn't want her to see.

It was only a few minutes before she began to feel seriously drowsy, so she shut off the hot water and stood in the freezing cold stream for a good minute before stepping out. She quickly dried off and changed into a comfortable pair of lounge pants and a tank top. She studied her swollen cheek for a moment. It wasn't too bad, but it was definitely colorful. The bruises around her neck were not as bad she thought initially. She grabbed a sweater to cover herself up. She didn't need the constant reminder of her very near death experience all up in her brothers faces.

She wrapped her long hair in a towel and came out of the bathroom. "I'm still awake."

Pamela chuckled. "I knew you'd be okay."

"Psychic thing?"

"Not because I'm psychic…just because I can tell how strong of a young woman you are."

Laney smiled. "Maybe…although right now I'm kind of a big old emotional baby."

"With good reason."

"I suppose so."

Laney started to towel dry her hair. Pulling out a brush, she began to work the tangles out.

"Take a seat," said Pamela directing her to a chair, "Let me." She grabbed the brush out of Laney's hand and began working it through her hair.

Laney closed her eyes for a moment. The gesture was almost motherly and extraordinarily comforting. It made her ache for the mother she never knew.

"You don't trust psychics do you?" asked Pamela, breaking into Laney's thoughts.

"Does it show?"

"A little."

"Sorry. My brother…you know…he has a tough time with them. I guess it kind of rubbed off on me." Laney smiled at her apologetically.

"No worries. I can handle your brother."

"I do always enjoy seeing him taken down a notch or two."

Pamela laughed, "I bet you do. He is charming in his own special way though. And he loves you dearly. I don't need psychic gifts to see that."

Laney smiled, her eyes watering a bit. "I know."

After a few minutes, Laney's hair was tangle free. She was grateful to Pamela for not only combing her hair, but because she hadn't so much as asked her a single question yet regarding her reasons for being there. It was nice not to feel under a microscope.

Laney quickly put her hair up in a ponytail. "I'm ready now. Let's do this."

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Sam was scanning through Laney's birthday gift, while Dean was wearing a hole through the floor with his incessant pacing. Bobby had gone off to make a phone call. No one seemed to feel much like talking.

Dean was about to go upstairs to check on his sister when he finally heard them making their way down the stairs. Bobby came out of the kitchen and took a seat at his desk. He wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible, but remain close.

Laney smiled brightly in hopes of relaxing them a bit and trying to hide how anxious she was. Dean took a deep breath and looked over his sister. "Ready now kid?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Sam stood up, "So how does this work?" he asked turning to Pamela.

"Well, it's pretty straightforward actually. We let Laney go to sleep and I'll dreamwalk her."

"Dreamwalking? Like as in Freddy Krueger, Nightmare on Elm Street, dreamwalking?" asked Dean incredulously.

Pamela rolled her eyes. For someone who was supposed to be such a bad ass hunter, she didn't understand how he could still be so resistant to some things.

"Pretty much that's how it works."

Sam looked at Laney for her reaction. She looked resigned.

"What do I have to do?" Laney asked.

"You go to sleep, I'll connect with you. It's as simple as holding your hand. You open your mind to me and wherever you go I go. For me, it's kind of like watching television. You won't know I'm there. It's like I'm on the outside looking in."

"So, you won't be able to help me as things are happening?" asked Laney, her voice pitching higher. Sam squeezed her shoulder. He was going to ask the same thing.

Pamela gave Dean an apologetic look. "I can't say for sure, until I know what's going on. I'll do what I can."

"Great, so we have to watch you die again!"

"Dean, she's trying to help," said Sam.

"Help? This is going to help. You were there Sammy! You saw what happens. Are you really looking forward to witnessing that again?" Dean practically shouted.

Bobby stood up and got in Dean's face. "Boy, you better take it down a notch. Pamela is here to help. You may not like everything she has to say, but she's on our side. If you know of someone else who can help then by all means have at it and we'll send Pamela on her way."

Dean took a deep breath in a struggle to regain his composure. Bobby was right.

"How do you want to do this?" asked Laney, trying to take charge.

Pamela glanced at Dean and Sam before looking back to their sister. The strong waves of energy coming off them were difficult to absorb. Bobby wasn't joking when he said the Winchesters were an intense bunch.

"Just lie down here on the couch. I'll walk you through some breathing exercises to help you relax. Then you just let yourself fall asleep."

"Right here?" asked Laney, pointing, "On this couch?"

"What's wrong with the couch?" asked Bobby.

"Oh, nothing," said Laney sarcastically, "I'm just the main event at some supernatural freak show."

"Baby, you're not a freak," Sam said.

"Yeah, yeah," said Laney, waving him off. She stepped around him and lay down on the couch attempting to get in a comfortable position. She curled up her knees to her chest her face facing towards Pamela. "Sammy?"

"No worries, shrimp," he said, knowing exactly what she wanted; for him to rub her back.

Laney closed her eyes right away. She couldn't stand everyone staring at her. It made her nervous knowing they were all hanging around basically waiting for the freak show to start. She wondered if she could even fall asleep under all the pressure. She snorted a laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Dean.

"Inside joke," she said, her voice slightly muffled.

Pamela took a seat on the old casket, serving as a coffee table in front of the couch. She pulled out her bag and took out several talismans and a small packet.

"Dean," she said, motioning for him to come over, "This is smelling salt. If there comes a moment where I decide I need to wake her up, I'll tell you. And you just stick it right under her nose."

"It won't hurt her?" asked Dean, eyeing the packet suspiciously.

"Nope, it's just ammonia, very strong, but it doesn't do any harm."

"Okay." He felt better feeling like he could serve some kind of purpose besides sitting idly by waiting for all hell to break loose. He took a seat next to Pamela. Sam stood on the opposite side of the couch rubbing his sister's back. Bobby sat back down at his desk.

"Okay, Laney, just take some deep breaths… in through your nose and out of through your mouth. Concentrate on my voice. Let everything go…clear your mind and let yourself fall into sleep. Don't fight it. We're all right here with you. Dean and Sam and Bobby, people who love you and care about you. They're right here with you. They aren't going anywhere."

Laney concentrated on Pamela's voice. It was smoky and soothing, like a gentle caress. She had gotten so used to fighting sleep that she had a little difficulty letting herself go. Her thoughts drifted through the events of the past year, then the past week, and then the past day. Her last coherent thought was of her father. They had a complicated relationship, but she loved him, missed him, and wished he was there.

Sam noticed Laney's breathing change into a soft, restful rhythm after about ten minutes. She was asleep. He stopped rubbing circles on her back and knelt down next to the couch at her feet.

Dean studied Pamela's face. She seemed deep in concentration, but peaceful. He was happy to see that Laney looked more peaceful than she had since they'd picked her up at school. She looked so much younger than she was, like the little girl he remembered who was always tinkering with electronics, reading books like crazy, and asking a million questions that he couldn't possibly know the answers to. He tried like hell not to think about what would happen if Pamela couldn't figure out what was wrong and help her.

Laney stirred in her sleep, curling herself into a tighter ball. Dean immediately tensed up, but noticed that her breathing had remained the same. Pamela's face furrowed into a deep frown. She spoke softly, "Laney, let me in. It's okay. I'm here to help. You're not alone. You don't have to keep me out."

Dean gave her a questioning look.

Sam wondered what the hell was going on.

Bobby tensed up halfway out of his chair, at the ready.

"Laney, sweetheart…it's okay. You can let me in," said Pamela, more forcefully. She shook her head in mild frustration. "Come on Laney." Her eyes opened. "Dean, go ahead and wake her up."

Dean immediately stuck the smelling salts beneath her nose, startling Laney, who smacked his hands away and sat up straight. "What the hell!"

"Yeah, what the hell is going on?" demanded Dean.

Pamela ignored Dean and gave her full attention to Laney. "I think you know. You're really skilled, you know. I'm impressed."

Laney gave her an innocent look, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Pamela smiled at her. "I think you do…as a matter of fact I know you do. Psychic here, remember?"

Laney's shoulders slumped. She was busted. She wanted Pamela to help her, but there were certain things she wanted kept to herself.

"Will someone tell me what in the hell is going on?" Dean demanded again.

"Where did you learn it?" asked Pamela, continuing to ignore Dean, who threw his hands up in the air.

"I read a lot."

"Really cute."

"Thanks."

Pamela rolled her eyes. "Seriously, I would like to know why?"

"So would I," interjected Dean.

"Can we talk about it privately?" Laney asked Pamela.

"Of course."

All three of the men in the room were ready to tear their hair out. Pamela and Laney were completely ignoring them.

"Care to enlighten us?" asked Dean.

Pamela gave Laney a questioning look. Laney sighed and nodded her head. "Go ahead and tell him."

"Your sister was blocking me."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"She put up mental blocks in her mind to keep me from looking."

"How in the hell would you know about that?" asked Dean looking at his sister.

"Genius, remember?" She said, tapping her finger against her head.

"There are books out there especially in the hunting world on how to keep a psychic from reading you. It's mostly theory and there aren't many people who can use it in practice. Laney did it quite well," said Pamela.

Laney smiled despite the brevity of the situation.

"How is that possible?" asked Sam.

"She clearly has an aptitude for it. Why? I don't know, but she must be predisposed to the ability."

Dean shook his head as if it was too much information to comprehend. "And you're blocking Pamela because?"

"Not now. Pamela and I need to have a private discussion," said Laney cutting her brother off.

"Yeah, we'll be right back." Pamela grabbed Laney's hand and led her out onto the patio.

Dean and Sam gave her looks. "Un-freaking believable," snorted Dean.

"Leave her be," said Bobby.

Dean gave him dirty look, but sat back down.

Sam stood there scratching his head. _Could this get any stranger?_


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry I put this out a little later in the day than I normally do. Thanks for all the new reviews, faves, and follows. This chapter is definitely one of my favorites. Enjoy!**

Chapter 12

"Okay, spill it," said Pamela, taking a seat on the porch railing.

Laney sighed before sitting down on the porch stairs. "You know how I mentioned the nightmares that I've been having?"

Pamela nodded yes.

Laney picked at the peeling paint on the railing for a moment before continuing, "Well, I don't want to share them. I don't want my brothers to know about them."

"Why not?"

"They involve my mother and… other things. They're just nightmares, but I want to spare them."

"If they're just nightmares then why are you so worried?"

"I don't know…they just…they seem so real," said Laney looking away, "I see her killed and it's so intense…the emotion I feel, it's real…yet it doesn't make any sense to me. I wasn't there…I mean I was there…but I was a newborn baby...so I don't know… I just…I'd rather not make them relive that night…it was traumatic enough for them…they were so young and they knew our mother. I never did."

"Fair enough," said Pamela, coming down from the railing and taking a seat next to Laney. "You could have said something beforehand you know. Anything I see in your head is yours to keep. Kind of like doctor/patient privilege. It's completely confidential. You just need to trust me…let me in… I promise I won't say a thing. There's a good chance I can help you with them. You know, dreams are usually the subconscious mind trying to work something out. "

"I trust you." The words left Laney's mouth without hesitation, surprising her. She thought there were only three people she completely trusted in the world; Dean, Sam, and Bobby. She felt sadness that she couldn't include her father on that list. She knew he loved her, but he had a way of doing things to get what he wanted, even if it meant bending the truth. Good intentions were all well and noble, but there were better ways to get things done.

"You could have fooled me with that stunt you pulled," chuckled Pamela.

"Sorry," said Laney sheepishly, "I really thought I could pick and choose what you saw. My first time though, you know."

"You did pretty good for your first time. I mean it," Pamela said. She extended a hand to Laney and pulled her up, "What do you say we put Dean out of his misery and go try this again?"

Laney smiled and nodded, "I guess we should."

They walked back inside to face three very anxious men.

"We're good," said Laney. She glanced at a scowling Dean before lying back down on the couch, "No more funny business. I promise." Sam sat down on the couch at her feet. She placed her legs over his lap.

Dean glared at her for a moment before he took a seat back on the coffee table, and tightly gripped the smelling salts in his hand, ready for anything. Bobby stood guard this time standing against the living room wall. He felt the need to be closer.

Laney gave Pamela thumbs up. She reached out and grabbed one of Laney's hands. "Okay, again… relax, breathe, and listen to my voice. Let yourself fall, be free…be open."

Laney took one last look at each of her brothers, offering them a reassuring smile before she shut her eyes.

In less than two minutes Sam noticed her soft, even breathing. She was fast asleep.

"That was fast," he whispered to Dean.

"She's exhausted," muttered Dean, more to himself than anyone else.

Their eyes flicked back and forth between Pamela and Laney looking for any signs of trouble, but they both remained still and expressionless.

After about what felt like an eternity, but was really only about twenty minutes, Sam felt the muscles in his sister's legs slightly tense under his hand. Pamela's expression remained unchanged.

"What is it?" whispered Dean, when he noticed his brother's worried look.

"Nothing…she just tensed up a little."

Dean sat up straighter, watching his sister's face closely. She grimaced a little, making him anxious. This waiting shit was for the birds. He could hardly stand to be in the room, yet there was nowhere in the world he would rather be.

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Laney's last thought was of an open door. It was a visual cue inviting Pamela in. She almost immediately went into her dream state. Laney was aware of it right away. It had been happening for months and months. They were always the same.

 _Her mother's face came into view. Laney felt pure instinctual joy and comfort. Mary cooed to her newborn daughter. "I waited so long to have a little girl. And here you are finally. You look just like your father."_

 _"_ _I sure hope not," said John, "Poor thing."_

 _"_ _Don't tease. I think she looks like you, definitely like Sammy too."_

 _"_ _I don't know. Babies all look the same to me. Outside of all that dark hair, I don't see any resemblance."_

 _Mary chuckled softly and tickled her newborn daughters face, "Don't listen to him honey…you're gorgeous."_

 _"_ _I didn't say she wasn't gorgeous," he smiled, placing a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead, "What do you think? Should we introduce the boys?"_

 _Mary smiled, "Of course. I know Sammy's excited. He's thrilled that he finally gets to be a big brother too."_

 _"_ _Yeah, he is. I think Dean will come around eventually too," smiled John, "As soon as he gets over the fact that you had a girl."_

 _Mary laughed, "I think he'll fall in love with her pretty quickly."_

 _John smiled and opened the door to call out for his sons, "Dean! Sammy! You can come on up now."_

 _Mary smiled at the sound of the hurried footsteps up the stairs. A young dark haired child bounded through the door, "Mommy!" exclaimed Sammy, "Can I see her?" He was jumping up and down in barely contained excitement._

 _"_ _Of course sweetie, come on up and sit next to me. Just be careful."_

 _Sammy climbed up on the bed next to his mother, careful not to bump her or the baby. He leaned over and stared right into his baby sister's eyes. His eyes widened in amazement. "She's so tiny," he whispered smiling, "Hi, baby. I'm you're big brother Sammy. I'm supposed to take care of you."_

 _Mary and John shared a smile. "Do you want to hold her?"_

 _Sammy thought about it for a moment. "No, I think I'll wait until she's a little bit bigger. I don't want to hurt her and I think she wants her Mommy right now."_

 _Mary smiled at her tenderhearted son._

 _"_ _Can I give her a kiss?"_

 _"_ _Of course, sweetheart."_

 _Sammy leaned over his little sister and very carefully kissed her cheek. "She's smells so good."_

 _Mary laughed. "It's because she's brand new."_

 _"_ _What do I call her?"_

 _Mary and John looked at each other. "Daddy and I can't agree on a name yet," said Mary, smirking at John._

 _"_ _But what are we supposed to call her. She can't not have a name," Sammy's lips quivered a bit._

 _"_ _Oh, it's okay Sammy. Don't be upset. Lots of babies don't have their names right away. We just want to get to know her a little bit before we decide. You can help us, okay?"_

 _Sammy nodded solemnly at his mother as if he'd just been given the most important job in the world._

 _"_ _For now we just call her the baby. Okay?"_

 _"_ _Okay, Mommy."_

 _Mary kissed her little boy on the top of his head. He was patting his little sister's hand in awe of her tiny little fingers._

 _Mary looked to John, "I think you're going to have to drag Dean up here." She noticed he hadn't come up to the room._

 _John walked to the hallway stairs and yelled down for his son, "Dean, front and center right now," he said sternly._

 _Mary heard his reluctant steps up the stairs._

 _"_ _Young man, you get in there and see your sister and your mother. Wipe that look off your face. It's a new baby, not the end of the world."_

 _Dean stepped into the room. He walked over to his mother's side of the bed, doing his best to ignore the baby in her arms. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the check like a dutiful son. Mary tried not to smile at the pitiful look on her son's face._

 _Sammy looked at his sister, "Its okay baby if Dean doesn't like you, because I'll take good care of you."_

 _"_ _Shut your mouth Sammy," said Dean._

 _"_ _Dean," said John, warning in his voice._

 _Mary looked at her oldest son in the eyes, "Dean, I know this is an extra big job for you. You have two younger siblings that you have to look out for. It's an important job, but I know you are capable of it. I know you're not excited about having a sister, but I think you'll like her if you give her a chance."_

 _"_ _All my friends who have little sisters say that they are brats and no fun…they play with dolls and dresses…that's so boring."_

 _"_ _That might be true for your friends, but you shouldn't care what they say. At least give her a chance." Mary shifted in the bed and brought the baby over to face Dean._

 _"_ _Look."_

 _The baby stared straight into her brother's eyes. They were wide with wonder and completely focused. Mary marveled at the sight. She had already noticed her daughter seemed so much more aware and alert than her sons had been. It was almost disconcerting. She looked like she was studying everything around her and taking it all in._

 _Dean looked into the baby's eyes. "She has the same eyes as Dad," he observed._

 _Mary shot John an I-told-you-so look._

 _Dean put his finger out and the baby immediately grabbed it and curled her tiny little finger around it. She let out a tiny sigh. Dean couldn't help himself, he smiled at her and much to his surprise and delight she smiled right back at him._

 _Mary's eyes rose in astonishment._

 _"_ _She smiled at me," said Dean, "She has my smile."_

 _"_ _I thought babies that young didn't smile," said John._

 _"_ _Probably just gassy," chuckled Mary._

 _"_ _No, she smiled at me. She likes me," said Dean, matter of factly._

 _"_ _So what do you think of her now?" asked Mary._

 _"_ _I think we can keep her," smiled Dean, leaning down to kiss his baby sister's chubby cheek._

 _Everyone laughed when the baby sighed again._

Pamela felt herself falling away as the dream ended. Everything shifted as if she were on a roller coaster and then lurched to a sudden stop, she was in another dream.

 _The tiny baby, barely a day old, lay in her crib staring at the man who was staring back at her, a menacing look on his face._

 _His eyes were yellow._

 _"_ _I hate to do this child. Well, not really. But you can't be allowed to live. You'd be too much trouble. I don't know what it is about you Winchesters, but you've become the toast of the town. Especially you little one, you've got everyone talking."_

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" demanded Mary, who had just come into the nursery to check on her daughter._

 _"_ _Mary, nice to see you again. How are your boys? How's little Sammy?"_

 _"_ _You get away from my baby. I gave you what you wanted already. We had a deal and I lived up to it, even though I regret it every day of my life. You got what you wanted."_

 _"_ _Sorry, plans changed. This one is destined to be…well I'm not sure…I just know it's not good for me or my plans for your boy."_

 _Mary stepped up to yellow eyes. "Get out of here! Leave my daughter alone!" She reached into the crib to pick up the baby who was watching everything very intently. The demon put his hand up throwing Mary into the wall and pinning her. She couldn't scream out for John._

 _The baby began to cry._

 _"_ _Oh, now. It'll be over quick as a wink." The demon put his hand out over the crying baby. A bluish white light shot out, but bounced back at him, stinging his hand. He pulled his hand back in shock, and then tried again with the same result. He looked over at Mary as if wanting an answer. "It's not possible." He tried once again. Same result._

 _He was angry. Mary smirked at him realizing that he couldn't harm her baby. This made him even angrier. He put out his hand sending her sliding up against the wall until she was pinned against the ceiling. He cut a large gash through her abdomen. "Sorry it had to be this way, Mary. But you're not really needed anyway. We'll see how your precious kiddos do without you."_

 _He looked down at the crying child, "This isn't over baby Winchester. We'll meet again."_

 _The baby was crying hysterically staring directly up at her mother; blood was dripping into the crib and onto her face._

 _"_ _Mary is she okay?" said John coming into the room. He noticed a man standing near the window. He turned to him, John's eyes widening when he saw yellow eyes staring back at him. Quick as a blink, he disappeared._

 _John looked around for his wife and walked up to the crib to soothe his daughter he noticed the blood on her face and panicked. "Oh god, what happened?"_

 _Another drop of blood fell down. He looked up towards the ceiling to see his beloved wife pinned and bleeding; her eyes wide open but unseeing. "Oh God, no!" he screamed._

 _The crib and ceiling suddenly burst into flames. John quickly grabbed his daughter out of the crib and began running towards the stairs. The nursery was already engulfed in flames._

 _"_ _Dad?"_

 _"_ _Dean, where's your brother?"_

 _"_ _I'm right here Daddy?" said Sammy, rubbing the sleep from his eyes._

 _"_ _Dean, take the baby," he said handing the small crying bundle to his son, who grabbed her and carefully cradled her to his chest, "Get outside, there's a fire. Sammy you go down with your brother and you listen to what he says."_

 _"_ _Okay Daddy."_

 _"_ _Where's Mom?" asked Dean in a panic, the hallway was filling with smoke._

 _"_ _Dean! Outside now!" He ordered._

 _Dean didn't argue. He held his sister closely with one arm and grabbed Sammy's hand and quickly went down the stairs and out the front door._

 _They stood outside in the freezing cold watching the fire that began shooting out of the nursery windows. Dean tucked the blanket tightly around his sister and put an arm around Sammy. The neighbors were running outside and over to the boys. John came running out the front door and moved his kids back towards the street, tears streaming down his face._

 _Dean looked down at the baby whose cries had faded to small whimpers, "It's okay, baby," he said, softly rocking her, "You're big brother is here. You'll be okay."_

Once again, Pamela was engulfed in darkness, the dream over. She gripped Laney's hand tightly in a comforting gesture and waited in the calm darkness for whatever was going to come next.

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Sam reached over to gently rub his sister's back. She had gone completely tense, curling herself up into a tighter ball. He became alarmed when he noticed tears streaming down her cheek. Dean had also noticed. He scooted closer to the edge of the table and leaned over his sister. He looked at Pamela, whose face remained placid. She was gripping Laney's hand tightly. He sat at the ready, fingering the smelling salt in his palm and considering waking his sister up. He glanced at Bobby who wore an identical worried expression.

As Sam rubbed his sister's back he noticed her slowly begin to relax. Her breathing was returning to normal.

"I think she's okay," he whispered to Dean, "Nightmare?"

Dean shrugged, "Maybe…" He rubbed his hands through is hair. The waiting was torture. "Bobby, how long is this going to take?"

"I don't know boy."

Dean looked at his watch, muttering something about psychic mumbo jumbo. It had already been over an hour. He wasn't eager to see anything happen to his sister. He just wanted- needed- answers.

Sam cast his brother a sympathetic look. He knew there was nothing to do to rush the process. It had to happen in its own time. He didn't like the time it was taking either. It was a too much time to think. His thoughts had been drifting frequently to Jess. The pain and sorrow he felt over her death, and what he felt was his part in it, had been overwhelming. He had been on the edge of breaking. Having his brother and sister back in his life, by his side had eased that pain for him; they gave him reason to live. The thought of losing either one of them, he couldn't even fathom. He knew it was the same for Dean; maybe even worse. His brother lived and breathed for nothing else but his family.

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Pamela felt a sharp tingling at the base of her skull and immediately recognized the energy signature. Before she could even build a proper mental wall she felt herself being sucked in by Laney's power and she couldn't stop it. Shocked; she was now effectively trapped in Laney's mind.

Laney felt the familiar burning sensation and a white hot shock of electricity zip through her body. The last thought of her own being, _here we go again._ She was locked in someone else's body, helpless, with nothing to do but go along for the ride.

 _"_ _Mommy, are we there yet?" The mother glanced in the rearview mirror at her two young daughters. She was twenty- something with blonde hair and gray eyes._

 _"_ _We've still got a good hour before we get to Grammie's house, sweetie."_

 _"_ _Okay, Mommy."_

 _She glanced back again at her daughters, flashing them a smile._

 _Suddenly, there was the screeching of tires and a blaring horn. When her eyes turned back to the road she was appalled to see a semi-truck in her lane barreling towards them. Its tires were locked and screeching, smoke billowing out from under the trailer. The truck turned a hard right causing the trailer to jackknife and sending it careening right into her minivan. It all happened in less than three seconds. She had no time to react. Her last thoughts of her children, "Please, not my babies," she whispered. The last sounds of her children screaming, the crash of metal and broken glass, then darkness; death claimed her instantly._

Pamela felt herself released like an arrow from a bow. She came to consciousness immediately, gasping for air. Her eyes shot open.

Dean and Sam jumped up from their positions. Bobby grabbed Pamela to keep her from falling over.

"Oh God!" yelled Sam from his kneeling position next to Laney.

Without warning, a large gash appeared on Laney's forehead, running from the edge of her hairline diagonally across her face. Blood was streaming freely from the wound. It began pouring from her nose mouth, and ears. Bruises and abrasions were appearing all over her body in quick succession until she was an unrecognizable bloody mess.

"Oh, no, dammit Laney!" yelled Dean.

"Baby?," whispered Sam, brokenly.

Dean knelt down next to his brother and pulled off his shirt pressing it to his sister's face to try and stop the blood flow. It was soaked through in a matter of seconds.

Bobby stood in shock, unable to do a damn thing, his heart in his throat. He hadn't felt that way since he lost his wife. Pamela waited, she knew Laney was going to come around soon and she was going to need all the support in the world.

"No, no, no…come on baby, wake up," demanded Dean, wiping at her face.

Sam stood motionless, unable to make move, tears flowing freely down his face. It was too much. All he could think of was the night he lost Jess.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Dean yelled at Pamela.

Pamela's eyes glistened with tears at the look on his face. The waves of grief and devastation emanating through the room were difficult to endure.

Before Pamela could reassure him, she noticed the gash on Laney's face starting to close and fade, "Look," she said pointing.

Dean found his breath again, when he noticed the cuts and bruises fading away. Sam broke out of his trance and whispered into her ear for her to wake up. "Come on sweetie, wake up, me and Dean are here…wake up."

Bobby had gathered enough wits to pull a towel from the hall closet, "Here," he said handing it to Dean.

He wiped her face and arms down gently, getting rid of most of the blood. Her clothing was another matter. It was completely soaked through. Within a minute the bruises and cuts were completely gone. The only thing remaining was the bruised eye and cheek she'd obtained a day ago. Other than that and the fact that her clothes were totally bloody you wouldn't know that anything had just happened to her.

"Why isn't she waking up yet?" demanded Dean, turning around to look up at Pamela, "She should be awake." He cradled her face in his hands, lightly tapping her cheek, "Come on shrimp."

"It was a traumatic death, Dean…it's gonna take her a little longer to recover," said Pamela, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

Dean put his fingers to her neck. She had a faint, but steady pulse. He closed his eyes in relief before looking back up at Pamela, "What the hell happened?"

Sam gripped his sister's hand, silently willing her to wake up. He didn't care what Pamela said. Until Laney opened her eyes and spoke he wasn't going to relax.

"Car accident….she died instantly."

"Who was it?"

"It was a woman-a mother- she had two young daughters with her. They were in a minivan and hit by a jackknifed semi-truck. She didn't have a chance."

Dean and Sam both swallowed hard.

"What about the kids?" Sam asked. He knew Laney was going to especially be upset by the kids.

"I don't know. Laney was linked with the mother. Like I said, the woman died instantly."

Dean rubbed his hands through his hair in frustration, "So, do you know what's going on? Can you help her?"

Pamela looked back and forth between Sam and Dean, trying to decide if she should tell them anything now or wait until Laney was awake. She made up their mind when she saw Dean trying to hide his tears. They were suffering enough.

"She's linked with a reaper," she said plainly.

Dean stood up quickly coming to stand directly in front of her. Sam's head snapped up.

"How in God's name-"

"I told you. Laney has psychic abilities. I can't begin to explain them or their extent or even exactly what she's capable of...but she has an undeniable connection with the supernatural. It's like her wires got crossed with a reaper and she's been piggybacking on his energy. Since she's not aware of what's going on or how to control her…her gift, it only happens when she lets go of her conscious mind. Which is why is only been happening when she's asleep. She can't break the link, because she's not even aware it exists."

Pamela measured their reactions. She felt anger, guilt and most strongly, fear coming from Dean. Sam's reaction was the same; except with empathy thrown into the mix. He had a special understanding of his sister's situation. Except there was one glaring difference; Laney's "gift" was not linked to the yellow-eyed demon as Sam's was. Pamela didn't know what that meant, but there were definitely some higher powers at a work. Whatever it was, it was big; no, it was huge, she mentally amended.

Dean and Sam were silent; neither one knowing what to say; their thoughts shooting off in a million different directions.

"Can you help her Pamela?" asked Bobby. Bobby was not a man who liked to delve into his emotions. He wanted to take action. He took a seat on the casket next to Laney and reached around Sam to check her pulse. It was strong and steady.

The Winchester boys looked at her intently waiting for her answer. It was the million dollar question.

"I can help her, help herself," she said, "It might take a little work, but like I said, she's gifted. I can teach her how to break the link…how to handle her abilities. But I'm telling you, you're sister is extremely gifted. I've been aware of my powers since I was a child, which means I've had more years than you've been alive to learn my craft, and your sister…well, she sucked me right into her link and I was trapped in her mind. She didn't mean it, but she did it and I couldn't fight it." This scared the crap out of her, although she was never going to admit it to them.

Bobby raised an eyebrow. If Laney outdid Pamela's mojo then there was some hardcore shit at play. Pamela was the most powerful medium he'd ever encountered.

"This is freaking unreal," said Dean, sitting down hard next to Bobby and placing a hand on his sister's leg in a comforting gesture.

"I had a vision of Laney in trouble when she was attacked at the truck stop," began Sam, who stood up slowly to face Pamela, "But it wasn't like my usual visions. There was no pain…and my visions…they've always been related to the children the demon visited."

Pamela knew he was asking his most pressing question in a roundabout way. "This has nothing to do with the demon, Sam." She wasn't completely telling the truth. Laney's power was not evil, but the yellow eyed demon had some part to play in the whole deal. But, what part? She had no idea.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "But…the vision?" he asked, still confused.

"I think it was your sister projecting it to you. I'm sure she wasn't aware of it, but in her heightened state of adrenaline and fear, I'm sure she was thinking of you and your brother, and because you have your own abilities you were more susceptible to receiving it."

"Again, freaking unreal," said Dean, shaking his head, at a loss for more meaningful words.

"I'm not sure how well Laney is going to take this," said Pamela, "I've got a glimpse into her mind and I can see that she's all about having control over her world. It's her way of dealing with the unknown you guys face every day. She knows better than most what craziness is out there in the world and her logic and rationale, her obsessive compulsive tendencies; they are all about making sense of it. I know she's a genius and very mature for her age, but she is still a young woman and this is a lot to deal with. She's probably going to be resistant. But if she doesn't break this link soon…it will kill her."

Dean and Sam sucked in a breath. They looked at each other with fear in their eyes. There was no way they were going to let that happen.

Dean was about to ask a question when Laney began to stir. She was coming around. This time she seemed groggy and slow to become alert. Her brothers had to help her sit up. "Dean? Sammy?"

"We're here baby," said Sam, taking a seat next to her.

Laney was dizzy, her mind a little fuzzy. She was having difficulty focusing, her eyes seemed glazed over. She couldn't see her brothers clearly. She blinked furiously. Dean was the first to come into focus; he was staring into her eyes. She tried a small smile before everything that had happened came flooding into her mind. She looked down at the bloody mess of clothing and began to cry.

He leaned forward and thumbed a tear away, "It's okay, baby."

Sam put an arm around her.

"What in the Hell!"

All eyes in the room turned towards the voice at the door. Laney's eyes widened in shock.

"Dad?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Delaney!"

"Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked, unable to mask her shock. Of all the moments for him to come crashing back into their lives, he had to do it now. She was a bloody mess, literally and figuratively.

"Dad," said Dean, his voice gruff with emotion.

John Winchester pushed past his sons and gathered his daughter up in his arms. "What happened to you?" He looked towards his sons, "Boys, what the hell happened to your sister?" His voice was full of a little too much accusation for Laney's liking.

"Dad, calm down," said Laney, pulling out of his embrace, "It's a really long story."

John looked at her bloody clothing. "I'm not hurt," she said. His hand cupped her face, turning it to the side, his thumb skimming over the bruise on her face. He gave hear a disbelieving look.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again.

"Bobby called me."

Laney looked over at Bobby, who gave her a wan smile. So, why did she and her brothers call her father a million times only for him to ignore them, but take Bobby's call seriously? What the hell had Bobby said to him that made him come running?

From the identical looks on her brothers' faces, Laney surmised that they were thinking pretty much the same thing.

"Dad," said Dean, standing up to his face his father, and to run a little interference for his baby sister. "It's good to see you." Dean embraced his father; John letting him, even though he was clearly waiting for someone to provide him with some explanation. Despite the gravity of the situation he was just as relieved to his sons.

Sam looked at his father like he really just would rather punch him in the face, but instead he gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad to see you in one piece."

Pamela stood on the outside of the little family reunion. She had heard enough about John Winchester to know that he was the reason the tension level in the room had shot up to epic heights. Right now she was more worried about Laney. They had a lot to discuss and she was in no shape to endure any kind of interrogation.

"Boys," said John.

"Sir," said Sam and Dean in unison. It was an automatic response. Ingrained since childhood.

"The family reunion can wait. I'm not going to ask again. What's going on here?"

Dean swallowed hard. Where did he even start? And how much did he tell his father? There were a lot of things his father would be livid about. He saw the fear written all over his sister's face. As much as he had thought he wanted his father to come, he was beginning to wonder if that had really been the best idea.

Laney quickly got up from the couch. "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" asked Sam, grabbing her arm and steadying her. She was swaying slightly from her abrupt movements.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," she said, glancing at Pamela.

Pamela picked up on her silent request, "I'll help."

"Wait a second," said John, moving towards his daughter, "We need to talk."

Laney ignored him and gave Dean a pleading look. "I can't do this right now," she whispered.

She moved as quickly as she could up the stairs, Pamela following right behind.

All the men in the room watched her until she was gone from sight. Dean and Sam shared a look of dread. Sam took a seat on the non-stained part of the couch. _Might as well have a front seat to the show._ He would leave the explanation up to Dean. It's what Dad would expect.

Dean took a deep breath, rubbing his hands over his head, and taking a seat on the coffin. "Well, a couple of days ago we got a call…"

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Laney shut the bedroom door behind Pamela. "Thanks, I couldn't stay down there with my father for one more second."

"I understand," said Pamela. John was definitely intimidating. She'd been in his presence for all of five minutes, but it was enough to get a glimpse into how Laney ticked and why.

Laney examined herself in the full length mirror. She was a mess. Her bloodied hair was matted to her head where it had dried. Her clothes were soaked, and a complete loss. She mentally reminded herself again, that she was going to have go shopping-something she despised- if she was going be able to dress herself in the near future.

"I'm going to take a shower again," she said as she peeled the bloody clothes off her body, she shoved them in a plastic bag, tying if off and tossed it in the bathroom trash.

"Laney, do you want to talk about what happened?" called Pamela from the bedroom.

"First things first," said Laney, turning on the shower.

"All right, when you're done then."

 _Whatever._ Laney knew she was cranky and as exhausted as ever. She still hadn't gotten any sleep. She was a mess of emotions, she was really feeling shaky and sick from her withdrawal, and now to make matters worse, her father had popped up out of the blue. She had been missing him and wishing for him, and now that she was here, she remembered why she'd always been so ill at ease in his presence. She was going to have to pull herself together. Fast.

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"I want to know why this is happening," said John, running his weary hands through his hair, much like his oldest son often did.

"We all do, Dad," said Sam.

John looked intently at his son. It was clear that he had a lot on his mind. He was sure none of it was good. But right now wasn't the time to fight. He needed to know what was happening to his daughter and how it had gone so far.

"This Pamela person, she can help?" asked John, looking at Bobby.

"She says she can. She's says she's small potatoes compared to Laney's apparent gifts, but she'll do what she can."

Dean looked at his Dad straight in the eye. "Whatever it is, we're going to take care of it… All of us will keep her safe."

"We've done a bang up job so far," muttered John, more to himself than anyone else.

Dean was glad that at least he was including himself in the recriminations. He half expected him to blame him and Sam for Laney's state. John wanted them away from her and that's what he got. _Whole lot of good that had done,_ thought Dean.

"Where have you been all this time Dad? We've been trying to get a hold of you for months and we called a bunch of times when we knew the baby was in trouble," said Sam.

Dean immediately tensed up further; as if that was even possible. These were the first steps down a slippery slope. Sam and John couldn't be in the same room without disagreeing on the color of the sky. It was their nature to butt heads.

"I've been following up leads on the yellow-eyed demon."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. They had figured as much.

"I thought the best way to keep you kids safe, was to limit contact," continued John.

"Sending Laney off to school didn't exactly keep her safe or protected. Look at her!"

"Sam," said Dean with warning in his voice.

"No, Dean, we deserve answers. She deserves answers. Why did you make her think we wanted to get rid of her?" Sam started pacing the room. He was angry and he wanted his father to know it.

Bobby took a step back behind his desk. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he wasn't going to miss it. He tried his best to blend into the background. John Winchester deserved to be put in his place. As far as he was concerned, it was long overdue.

"Boys, I thought I was doing the right thing. I knew she'd never just go if I asked her. I had to make her believe that it was what you two wanted. She'd follow you two to the ends of the Earth, you know that."

"So you made her think we didn't want her? Can you imagine how that made her feel? Part of the reason she's as far gone as she is, is because she didn't want to call us. She didn't want to be a burden," said Dean.

John's face fell. None of this was what he wanted. It was never what he had intended. He wanted his daughter out of the way of danger and thought he had done the right thing by getting her to go off to college, by keeping her from him and her brothers, and away from the life.

"I was wrong," he said.

Dean raised an eyebrow. It was a special day when John Winchester admitted to being wrong. Even Sam took a step back. He had expected more of a fight.

"I was wrong," John repeated, "And I'm sorry. This isn't what I wanted at all."

"We know, Dad," said Dean, glancing at his brother, "We know."

Sam shook his head and Dean's unwavering faith in their father. He didn't feel it was at all deserved.

"I'm going to make it right," said John. "We'll figure this out."

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Laney stepped out of the shower, reluctantly. She wanted to crawl into some deep dark hole, closed off from the world and be left alone. But she knew that was not a Winchester thing to do; lie down and take the hits without fighting back. Her father was downstairs and he would never abide by that attitude. She was going to have to dig down deep and find some strength from somewhere. She had to find her bearings again and regain control.

She quickly dressed and walked out of the bathroom. The feeling of déjà vu was overwhelming. It had only been a couple of hours ago she had been in the same position.

Pamela watched her from the bed and decided it was best to pull this band aid off quickly.

"We need to talk."

Laney sighed. Why fight the inevitable?

"Alright, hit me."

Pamela faltered for a moment. She wasn't sure where to start. She was about to lay a whole lot of shit on this poor girl's shoulders.

"Your nightmares."

"Yeah?" asked Laney, expectantly.

"Not nightmares."

Laney's eyebrows rose in surprise. "So what are they?"

"Memories."

"How is that even possible? I was a baby when my mother was killed."

"I know. But what you saw is the way it happened. You were remembering what happened through your newborn eyes."

"Again I ask how is that possible?"

"You're gifted."

"So, that's not a secret," snorted Laney, as she paced back and forth over the well worn hardwood floor.

"I don't mean your intellect. I mean, psychically."

Laney's heart froze, her feet following suit. She jerked around suddenly to face Pamela. "Did you just say psychically?"

Pamela nodded her head slowly. "Yes."

After a brief pause Laney resumed her pacing, "Explain please."

"You have psychic abilities. I don't know why they've surfaced now but-"

"The demon," muttered Laney.

"It's not dark-sided Laney. This is something you were born with. I don't sense anything dark-sided or evil about it at all."

Laney shot her a doubtful look. "Whatever. Continue."

Pamela was not surprised by Laney's sudden curtness. She had gleaned from what Bobby had told her and the brief time she'd spent with her, that this was how she operated. She was gathering all the information, asking questions, and storing it all away for further analysis. She would deal with the emotional aspect later. Right now, she was handling it the best way she could; as if this was a case and she was gathering the facts on some other person and not herself.

"As I was saying, you're very gifted. You were strong enough to trap me in your mind when I was linked with you. You didn't know it though, but you were doing it. You have the ability to sense things from the other side; the supernatural. I don't know the depth of your abilities. I just know they are there."

"Great, so I'm like a walking, talking EMF?"

Pamela did her best to stifle her smile. It was a crude interpretation of her abilities, but surprisingly accurate, more or less.

"With some extra bells and whistles."

"And the deaths I've been experiencing? What's that all about?"

"You've crossed wires somehow with a reaper. So, you've been kind of piggybacking on its energy. Somehow you're connecting with the minds of the victims and living out their last moments. I think I can help you build up some mental blocks and help you sever the connection."

"You think?"

"Like I said, I don't know the full extent of your abilities. I haven't spent enough time poking around in your brain. Right now, it's very raw and new and confusing. But you were able to use some very rudimentary exercises to keep me out your mind, so I think you can do this. You have to do this. If you don't break the link…it will kill you."

"That's good to know." Laney continued pacing around the room. For all the info she'd just had dumped on her, she felt she was handling it pretty well. She could either deal with it rationally or assume the fetal position and wait for the world to end. She was pretty sure the men in her life would be pissed if she did the latter. Emotions were messy. Laney sighed heavily. When her brothers were around she'd let her guard down. She'd cried, yelled, shouted, practically thrown tantrums. Now that her father was back in the picture, she felt herself steeling up. She was locking her emotions down. It was almost an automatic reaction. She didn't want to think about the implications of that. She was going to have be strong.

"I want my brother."

"Okay," said Pamela who immediately headed for the door. She didn't even need to ask which one.

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All the men looked towards the stairs when they heard the bedroom door open and footsteps coming. Once John had been filled in on recent events, no one felt much like talking. Everyone was lost in thought, trying to formulate a plan.

"Dean," said Pamela, surprising the boys by her solo appearance, "She wants you."

Dean looked between his father and Sam before heading up the stairs.

Bobby could see the guilt and regret registering on John's usually unreadable face, and if he didn't know any better he was sure he saw some jealousy. Laney had asked for Dean and not her own father. That was a testament to the pecking order Laney put the Winchester men in her life. Bobby felt it was only right. That boy had pretty much raised his sister, not to mention his brother. But Laney especially had been pretty much left to other people to raise. John had been way too trapped in his own grief and misery to pay much mind to his youngest child.

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Dean opened the door slowly, not sure what to expect. He was both surprised and not surprised to see his sister calmly standing at the window, staring out over Bobby's salvage yard. She turned to him when she heard the creaking of the door and offered him a slight smile.

"You requested my presence," smirked Dean.

Her smile deepened. "I did."

He sat down on the chest that held Laney's old clothes from when she was a child. She had a few other odds and ends she'd left at Bobby's over the years; books, stuffed animals, pictures she'd drawn, old electronic gadgets and experiments she'd tinkered with for years, all kinds of things that weren't suited to drag along on their life on the road.

Laney walked over and sat down next to him, looking down at her bare feet. "So, you know about my freaky mind mojo?"

"Yeah," Dean grabbed her hand. "You're not a freak," he added.

"That's still to be determined, I think."

Dean squeezed her hand in comfort.

"Although, this is the closest I'll ever get to being a full on Jedi," she said.

Dean laughed out loud. "You're taking this well." _A little too well,_ he added mentally.

"I could go bat shit crazy, I guess. But what good is that going to do me. I'm trying to focus on getting rid of this reaper I'm mind melded with and the rest, I'll deal with as it comes. Really, I just want to get a good night of sleep. Scratch that, a few days of sleep would be nice."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired… I'm just flat out exhausted. I feel sick…you know…the pills…I have this grinding headache..." Her voice drifted off.

"I didn't tell Dad."

Laney's head shot up to look at her brother. "You didn't?"

"He doesn't need to know. It's between you and me and Sammy."

"I'll never take them again, I swear," said Laney, and she wholeheartedly meant it.

"I know. I trust you."

"Do you really? I mean 24 hours ago, you were pretty livid," she said, remembering how he'd shattered her treasure box and been so cold to her.

"I know. I was scared…I make mistakes sometimes," he smiled, "Not very often…but it happens."

Laney smiled before turning serious again. "You're really going to keep it from Dad?" Dean was not one for disobeying their father. Lying was another thing he didn't normally do.

"Do you want me to tell him?"

"No," answered Laney, hastily. "It's just, I don't know. I thought you would tell him, I guess I really don't like putting you in a position where you're lying to Dad."

"It's okay you know. I am a grown man and not a child."

Laney smiled and stood up. She paced the floor for a minute before turning to her big brother.

"I need you to promise me something."

Dean noticed her eyes welling with tears and stood up. He wrapped a hand around her wrist and looked her in the eyes. "Okay, shoot."

She chewed her bottom lip nervously before speaking. "I need you to promise me that whatever happens, you won't let Dad send me back to school….promise me you won't let him send me away somewhere or leave me behind…or whatever. I want to stay with you and Sammy."

Dean wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't that. She didn't even need to ask him to promise. He'd made up his mind days ago that she was never going to be out of his sight again.

"That's an easy one," he smiled, "I promise you that you aren't going anywhere."

Laney took a deep breath. She wiped away the one errant tear she'd allowed to fall. No more tears. For now anyway.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem kiddo."

"You're really not that bad, you know."

Dean chuckled. Then he opened his arms to her. She went into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"I've got you kid," he said gruffly. He wasn't ever going to let her go.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Pamela and Laney were huddled together on Bobby's front porch. The sky was turning into a gray cloudy dusk and it was beginning to rain. It seemed to be following them wherever they went. _The gray gloomy skies really add to my feelings of impending doom,_ thought Laney. After her little heart to heart with Dean and the secured promise of not allowing Dad to send her away, she had decided to get right down to business and get this damn reaper off her back and out of her brain. And then...sleep. Lots and lots of sleep.

Pamela was giving her lessons; quick and dirty.

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"John, what about your daughter?" asked Bobby.

Bobby and John were holed up in the workroom at the back of the house doing of research. John had not yet brought his sons up to speed on his demon hunt. He was still reeling from everything that had just learned. He wasn't sure what it meant, if anything, to what he was doing. But he knew he needed his boys help on a few things.

"What about her?" John asked. It was a loaded question.

"Where does she figure in to your plans?"

"She doesn't," he answered curtly. Delaney was never supposed to be a part of the hunt. She wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the vicinity of this or any hunt. She might physically be present now, but that didn't change a damn thing. She wasn't getting involved in the big hunt. He wasn't going to allow it.

"Damn it John, do you really think that you are going to be able to keep her out of this? I mean she has these new abilities. You don't think that there is something supernatural going on here?"

"You heard Pamela. She said that this wasn't demon related. This isn't like Sam."

"Do you really believe that? Two of your children have some kind of crazy psychic mojo going on and you really think it's just luck of the draw?"

John threw down the book he had been reading through and got up from the table. "Bobby, I don't know what to think okay? I don't know what the hell is going on here. I don't know why yellow-eyes is interested in my son. I don't know why out of the blue my daughter has these gifts. I don't have any answers!"

Bobby stood up and grabbed a glass and a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a nice big serving, before taking a drink and standing in front of John to say his piece.

"My point here is that whether or not this has anything to do with the demon is not important. You have a daughter in there. And as genius and mature as she is for her age, she's still a kid. She needs you. She doesn't need you running off right now, or sending her brothers on some crazy hunt because you can't take five minutes to cool your heels and tend to your children!"

John stepped up to Bobby and got in his face. "You'd better watch yourself Bobby."

Bobby was incensed and not planning on backing down. "I've watched you run out on those kids their whole lives. I've watched that young woman in there grow up with a father that never paid her all that much mind and who left it to his sons and other people to raise her. If there ever was a time to make amends for that, a time to make it up to her, it's now. If you walk out on her again, leave her behind. She'll never forgive you. I won't forgive you. Those boys won't forgive you."

John wanted to punch Bobby in the face; but for what? He was speaking the cold hard truth. John didn't like hearing it, but he knew it to be true.

"I'd rather she hate me for the rest of her life, than be dead. I'm doing all of this to keep her safe... to protect her."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," said Bobby angrily, "Maybe one day you'll believe it."

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Sam came down the stairs, his hair still wet. He'd taken opportunity during the lull in the action to shower and change. He needed the time alone to sort out his feelings about his father's return and more importantly, the revelations of his little sister's new gifts. He wasn't convinced that it wasn't somehow connected to him. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story.

"Where's Laney?" Sam asked his big brother, who was sitting at Bobby's desk, absentmindedly flipping the pages of a book.

"With Pamela taking lessons in Mind Mojo 101," snorted Dean.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "What are you doing?"

"Pretending I'm not trying to eavesdrop."

"Fantastic job your doing."

"Shut your face Samantha."

Sam smiled at his brother. It was always fun getting under his brother's skin every once in awhile.

"What did she want you for?" asked Sam. He'd been curious when Laney had asked for Dean. When she came downstairs after their little powwow she had been calm and composed; something he hadn't seen since they'd picked her up at school. It was a little unnerving.

"She asked me to promise her that I wouldn't let Dad sent her back to school," said Dean softly, "Or anywhere else for that matter," he added.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

Dean shot his brother an incredulous look, "Dude, what do you think I said?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

"Of course, I promised her I wasn't going to let Dad send her off. She's not going anywhere without me."

Sam was impressed. "Really? What does Dad have to say about that?"

"Dad doesn't know and I really don't care what he says."

"Wow, good soldier is going disobey Dad. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Smart ass."

Sam just smiled at his big brother. He knew Dean wasn't interested in letting Laney out of his sight. Hell, he wasn't interested in that either. But Dean had always followed their father's orders to a tee. Despite what he was saying now, he had a hard time believing that when push came to shove he wasn't going to waver.

"What do we do now?" asked Sam. "I mean, she breaks the link with the reaper and then what?"

"We keep doing what we do. We hunt."

"And bring her along?"

"Before she went to school, we hunted together. I mean, she didn't really hunt in the purest sense."

"Something tells me that she's not going to be interested in being "tech support" anymore. She's going to want to be involved more."

"What gives you that idea?"

"Just a feeling."

"Aw, man, is this some kind of psychic friend's network thing you two have going on?"

"Bite me," said Sam.

"Just asking."

"I don't know. I've seen it already. She's changed a lot. She is changing. This kind of thing, will change a person."

Dean grew somber for a moment, Sam would know. "Being a Winchester really sucks ass."

Sam chuckled. "Tell me about it."

"We'll figure it out as we go along. I don't think we can really plan for anything at this point. Expect the worse. Hope for the best."

"That's very Oprah of you."

Sam laughed at Dean's glare.

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"Okay, well that's a pretty basic lesson," said Pamela, sitting back in her chair.

"You think it's enough to break my reaper link?"

"I hope so."

"Did you tell my brothers about my nightmares- memories- whatever?"

"You asked me not to and I didn't, but I really think you should tell them about what you saw."

"You mean yellow-eyes sneaking into my nursery to kill me and not being able to and then killing my mother instead?"

"Yes, that's what I mean."

"I guess my father was right."

"About what?"

"It _is_ my fault my mother is dead."

Pamela inhaled sharply, "You're father said that to you?"

"He was drunk and I don't think he really meant it. But yes, he sure as hell did."

Pamela didn't know what to make of that, other than knowing that it brought her regard for John Winchester down several more notches. The man was troubled, but he'd dealt with it all wrong and his children had all, to certain degrees, paid the price.

"What about Sammy?" asked Laney, wanting to take her mind of the fact that her worst nightmare had come true. She really was responsible for her mother's death.

"What do you mean?"

"The conversation between yellow-eyes and my mother; she said she'd already given him what he wanted…that she had lived up to her end of the deal. What was she talking about? I swear it had to do with Sammy."

"I can't say. And you shouldn't jump to conclusions. It'll just make you crazy."

"It's not a far jump. Sam is one of the special children, chosen by yellow-eyes. It seems pretty obvious now that my mother had something to do with that. But why? If she loved us as much as my brothers say, if she was so freaking wonderful, then what would make her do such a thing? Sell out her own kids."

Laney shook her head in disbelief. The Mary Winchester she'd grown up hearing about couldn't possibly be the same woman who would give up her child to something so evil. The dots just didn't connect. It was completely illogical.

"I don't have those answers, Laney. But from what I saw, you're mother loved you and your brothers. I mean, you could feel it couldn't you?"

Laney nodded her head yes. She felt the love from her mother, even love from her father. It was the most pure emotion she'd felt from him ever. And it had all changed because of her. Because yellow-eyes wanted to kill her and couldn't, so he killed her mother out of spite. If she were her father she wouldn't forgive her either. If her brothers knew, well, she couldn't imagine they wouldn't at least be a little resentful. Their mother's violent death and the hand of evil had turned their worlds upside down and sent them on a completely different course in life. She couldn't imagine this was the life anyone would want for their children.

"I still think you should tell your family," said Pamela quietly. Laney's eyes met hers. "It might help them somehow. Maybe help catch this thing. Help your brother maybe."

 _No way in hell,_ Laney thought. She couldn't do it. She had to protect her brothers from the truth.

"You can do it."

"Stay out of my damn head."

"I wasn't in your head. It doesn't take a psychic to know what you're thinking."

"Am I that transparent?"

"No…but one thing I do know for sure is that you Winchester kids will do anything to protect each other and I know that you don't want your brothers to be hurt. But speaking from experience, if you keep it from them and they find out later on…it's not going to be good."

Laney shook her head in frustration. This was too much to process and if she was going to maintain her calm and her freaking sanity, she was going to have to put it aside for the moment.

"I can't think about it right now. I've got to focus on getting this reaper off my back and getting some damn sleep."

Pamela decided it was best not to pursue the conversation any further. Getting some much needed rest and recovering from her recent ordeal might help her to see things more clearly and make the right- not necessarily the easiest- decisions.

Pamela stood up and clapped her hands together. "Okay, let's get this show on the road. Do you think you're ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. You sure I can do this without having to go to sleep?"

"Yes, I am. Now that you're aware of what's happening, you can seek out the link."

"Okay."

"Should I get your brothers?"

Laney shook her head furiously, "Please no, it will just make me more nervous if they're here. I've had any enough of being the main event at this freak show."

"Are you sure?"

Laney sighed, "If there's any sign of trouble you can call them."

"All right."

Laney adjusted herself in her seat, sitting Indian style. "Here goes nothing."

Laney closed her eyes and breathed deeply in a slow even pace. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and imagined a deep dark void. She began chanting a calming meditation that Pamela had taught her. It was a form of self-hypnosis that Laney had seemed to pick up very quickly despite their very brief period of practice. She could feel electricity around her, pulsing in different rhythms. Pamela had called them energy signatures. She said everyone and everything, supernatural or earth bound had a unique signature, and in time she'd be able to recognize them all. She recalled the sensation before she was sucked into the reaper's victim's minds and reached out to find it.

Pamela watched her student closely. She was sweating profusely, but her breathing remained calm and steadied and her mind focused. She was impressed by how quickly Laney had caught on and kept having to remind herself that Laney was a genius, whose mind was very advanced already and worked in an entirely different way than an average person. Still, it made her nervous and just a tiny bit jealous. If only had been that easy for her.

Pamela jumped when she heard the screen door creaking open. She quickly put a finger to her lips when she saw Dean and Sam walking out onto the porch.

"What the hell?" whispered Dean.

Pamela shook her head and again put her finger to her lips to silence him.

Dean and Sam looked at each other and then to their sister who was sweating heavily, but otherwise looked pretty peaceful; as if in a trance.

"She's trying to break the link," she whispered. Dean's nostrils flared. "She didn't want you guys to worry," she added.

Dean shook his head in disbelief. When was his sister ever going to learn? He was going to have to give her yet another talking to.

Laney caught on to two new signatures entering her space. She smiled mentally when she was immediately able to identify them. Of course she would, they were the two most familiar people in her life; Sam and Dean. Dean's energy burned hot and intense, a fiery red, crackling like lightning. Sam's was cooler, a mix of green and blue, soothing. She understood why Pamela had been able to recognize that Sam had been touched by something dark-sided. Laney could see it too. It was like a dark cloud looming around his whole being. She mentally frowned. _Poor Sammy._ She quickly refocused her mind when she felt herself starting to drift. She concentrated on that dark looming cloud. It could probably serve as a gateway to the reaper, though she had to remind herself that reapers weren't really evil; they really were just doing their jobs. Pushing that thought away, she moved on. She sifted through the different energies until she picked up the signature she was looking for. She was shocked to sense it was coming straight for her. She let it get close to her, almost let it draw her in, before she slammed up a mental wall. But the reaper's energy was very powerful and it wasn't giving up so easily. It was then that Laney realized that it couldn't have been entirely by accident that she'd crossed wires with it. Someone or something had purposefully set it on her course. Without warning, she found herself locked in a mental showdown with no way to ask for help.

"Something's wrong," said Dean, standing up just a second before Pamela was about to same thing. She'd picked up on Laney's distress. Something wasn't right and she was having trouble.

Her breathing had become quick and shallow and she continued to sweat heavily. She twitched in her chair a couple of times. Sam stood up, ready to shake her awake. Pamela put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"No, don't. This is going to be her best chance to break the link. We have to let her keep going."

"What's going on?"

"She's fighting to hang on to herself. She's linked with the reaper."

Dean took up a defensive stance; his muscles twitching at the ready. He was used to opponents he could see and fight. Not being able to see the threat in front of him and knowing he couldn't get in and help his sister was more than hard. It was torturous.

"Can you do something?" Sam asked Pamela.

She nodded her head, "No, it's all up to her."

"Freaking fantastic!" exclaimed Dean.

Laney's breathing quickened. Blood started to drip from her nose.

Laney threw up mental wall after mental wall and the reaper continued to knock them down. It didn't make any sense to her. Why would he care? Why would it matter to him if she was tagging along? The more she pushed, the harder it was to maintain her connection and she couldn't allow herself to break. If she retreated she would just have to try again and she didn't have it in her. So she pressed on. She pulled from the energy around her. She drew on the strength of her brothers' presence until she was able to send out a mental bolt of electricity, she felt the connection snap like a rubber band and a quick image flash before her until there was an abrupt silence as if the line had gone dead. She felt herself falling away, until she lost all sense of everything. The last thought in her mind the image she had just seen; the yellow-eyed demon.

"Laney!" shouted Dean, when she fell out of her seat. He knelt down next to her and felt her pulse. It was strong and steady. Apparently she was just passed out cold.

"Is she okay?" asked Sam, who knelt down on the other side of his sister.

"She's fine, Sam. She should come around any second," answered Pamela.

As if on cue Laney began to stir. Her hand went to the wetness she felt on her face. She was surprised to see blood when she drew her hand away.

"Hey kiddo, are you trying to send me to an early grave?" asked Dean half-jokingly.

Laney felt slightly groggy, but offered her brother a small smile. "Sorry, this is getting to be a habit, huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine guys. I did it. I broke the link."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty sure, Sammy."

"Good job squirt," said Dean as he offered her a hand up from the ground. She accepted. When she got to her feet she dusted herself off. Part of her wanted to celebrate, but that seemed ridiculous. Especially considering that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that yellow-eyes was responsible for her little dance with dead. _Too much. It's too much to comprehend._

"I hate to cut the party short, but I'm going upstairs and going to sleep." She began walking inside the house. She was glad to see her father was still wherever he was with Bobby. She liked to think she wasn't avoiding him, but that was a lie.

"You sure?" asked Dean. He didn't see how she could've gone through whatever that was, and be completely unscathed. She was rocking on her feet. He grabbed her arms to steady her.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure."

"I'll tuck you in," said Sam, grabbing onto her and taking over for his brother. He wasn't ready to leave his sister sleeping unattended. He gave Dean a look that said he had it covered.

Dean shook his head. _What now?_

"Well, I'm starving," he said. "So I'm going to head out for some food. Any requests?"

"The usual," said Sam.

"How about you Pamela? Can I get you something?"

"I'm good. I actually have to head back home."

Laney's head snapped up. "Home?" She wasn't ready to be without a safety net at the moment.

"I'll be back in a day or two," she said quickly to put Laney at ease. "I have a feeling that you are going to be a asleep for awhile."

Laney gave her a bright heartfelt smile. "Okay I'll see you later then." She grabbed Pamela in a sudden hug. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.

"No problem."

Sam and Dean shook Pamela's hand. "I'll walk you to your car," said Dean.

"It's okay I need to have a few words with your father," said Pamela.

 _Well, that's my cue to leave,_ thought Laney. Dean must have been thinking the same thing because he kissed his sister on the forehead, grabbed his keys and quickly headed for the door.

Sam steered his sister towards the stairs to the second floor bedrooms.

Pamela chuckled as she headed for Bobby's workroom. _I sure know how to clear a room._

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"You sure you're okay to sleep?" asked Sam for the third time since they'd gotten upstairs.

"I'm sure, Sammy," Laney answered patiently, as she washed her face and got into some comfortable pajamas. She'd never been so excited to go to bed in her life. She walked out of the bathroom and offered her brother a sympathetic smile. He was obviously still worried about her. Understandably so.

She grabbed the bottle of water Sam had gotten for her and downed a couple of pills. She saw her brother tense up.

"Relax," she said. "Just some Tylenol for this headache."

Sam visibly relaxed. "You don't mind if I stay in here for awhile, do you?"

"Of course not," she answered. She climbed into the bed and settled the comforter around her. It was raining out and a chill was settling in the room. Laney liked to sleep with the window open for the fresh air, no matter how cold it was.

She patted the bed next to her. "Get comfy. I'll let you rub my back until I fall asleep."

Sam rolled his eyes, "You'll let me? You're too kind."

"Aren't I?"

Sam chuckled, kicked off his shoes and took a seat next to his sister, sitting with his back against the headboard. He stretched his long legs out in front of him. "Flip."

Laney turned over on her side, her back facing her brother. He brushed her hair out of her face and began to rub small circles on her back.

"Sammy?" she said softly.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked confused.

"For being you…for putting up with my mood swings…for being such an awesome brother." _Hopefully for not hating me when you find out it's my fault Mom's dead._

Sam smiled. "You're welcome kiddo."

Laney sighed contentedly. For the moment she wasn't going to think about her new gifts or about her newly discovered memories. She was going to take in the comfort of her brother's presence. And even though she was worried about facing her father, she was happy that he was under the same roof with her for a change. She knew that wouldn't last long. She snuggled deeper under the comforter and decided she wasn't going think about that either as she let herself drift into a welcome and undisturbed sleep.

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Dean walked into the house juggling a few bags of food and a pizza box in one hand and a cold six pack in the other. He decided he deserved a few cold ones. It had been a seriously shitty week.

"Hello? Can I get a little help here?" he called out. He frowned when he noticed the deserted living room. Apparently everyone was still off doing their own thing.

"Sammy? I've got dinner," he called out upstairs, as he set everything down on the kitchen table.

After a couple minutes went by with no answer he walked upstairs and into Laney's room to look for his brother. He couldn't help but smile. Laney was curled up on her side facing the wall. She seemed to be peacefully asleep. Sam had an arm wrapped protectively over her. He too, was sound asleep. He walked over to close the window that his sister had no doubt left wide open. The rain outside was falling more heavily and beginning to drip onto the floor through the screen; it was damn cold too. He grabbed a spare blanket draped over the chair and gently put it over his brother.

"Sleep well kids," he whispered, before pulling the bedroom door shut.

When he came back down the stairs, Bobby and his father were in the kitchen, poking through the bags of food.

"I figured you guys would be hungry," said Dean, as he pulled a Styrofoam container from a greasy paper bag.

"Where's your brother and sister?" asked John.

"Sleeping."

John nodded.

Dean noticed his father didn't seem too surprised. "Pamela talked to you?"

"Yeah, she filled me in."

Dean watched his father's expression closely. He looked to be ticked off. But then again, he always looked like that. He was not a man of many faces.

"Although I'm not happy your sister pulled that stunt."

 _Here we go._ "She's not a little kid anymore, Dad. She's got a mind of her own," said Dean, annoyed.

"You can't let her go off and do these things without one of us present."

"We were there Dad."

"Yeah, by accident."

"She's fine. She did it. So can we put this argument on hold while I eat?"

John glared at his son. He didn't appreciate the attitude. "Fine."

"Thank you."

Bobby grabbed a plate of food and excused himself. John and his son obviously had a lot to talk about and he was going to sit this one out.

Dean sat down at the table opposite his father. He shoved a mouthful of fries in his mouth and watched his Dad pick at his food. With a heavy sigh Dean threw down his bacon cheeseburger.

"Let's just get this over with," said Dean.

"I don't like your tone."

"I'm not a kid. I'm 27 years old."

"I'm your father, you can show me some respect. I'd expect this from Sammy, not from you."

"That's cause he's the smart one."

"You got something you want to say to me?" asked John.

Dean shook his head in frustration. "How could you do it Dad? Send her away like that? Lie to her and tell her we didn't want her around…that she was cramping our style."

"I did it to protect her. We're so close…so close to catching this yellow-eyed bastard. I can't have her in the thick of it."

"She's in it, Dad. Whether we want her to be or not, she's in it."

"I didn't know about any of this. If I had even a clue I would have done something different to keep her out of harm's way."

"I thought I'd been doing a pretty good job of keeping her safe over the last few years when it was just me and her."

"You did a great job, son. I'm not saying otherwise. This thing…it's just I don't know exactly what we're up against, but it's powerful and I can't stand for her to be hurt. I didn't train her for this life. She doesn't have the complete picture of what hunting is all about."

"I don't think you give her nearly enough credit…what she's gone through the last several months, I can guarantee you she has a pretty damn clear picture of what this is all about."

"She's not trained enough. I mean, we've gone through the motions with her, but she's got no real experience."

"She can pick it up, Dad…and do you really think Sam and I aren't going to do all we can to keep her safe?"

"That's the problem, Dean. You guys would do anything for her…you'd put yourselves at risk for her. I can't have that either."

"I've been protecting Sammy for the last year!"

"It's different. Your brother is a grown man and an excellent hunter. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. With your sister around, he's going to take unnecessary risks. You both will. I can't have it."

"So what's the plan then? Leave her behind? Leave her where?"

"I don't know where to leave her. All I know is she can't be a part of this."

"She is a part of this! You're so focused on avenging Mom's death that you've lost all perspective!"

"Listen son, I am Delaney's father. She's still a kid, and as long as I'm around, I decide what's in her best interest. You and your brother and sister don't get a say."

Dean was so furious he was seeing red. Talking to his father was like talking to a goddamn brick wall. He thought for sure that with this new information he might change his tune a little. But no, it was the same old shit. Focus on the hunt, screw everything else.

He stood up quickly from his chair and stomped out of the room. He couldn't stand another minute in the man's presence. He'd made a promise to his sister and he had every intention of keeping it.

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John tossed and turned all night. The argument between him and his son had been replaying over and over in his mind. He understood his boys' need to have their sister by their side but they were failing to see the bigger picture. Was their peace of mind worth putting her life at risk? They might have convinced themselves they could keep her safe, but as far as he was concerned they were wrong. He knew he had done a hell of a lot of things wrong with his daughter; letting her become a hunter wasn't going to be one of them. She was too damn smart- too damn young- to end up some supernatural freaks plaything. His sons would never leave the life, but there was still hope for his daughter. And it was what Mary would've wanted.

Giving up on trying to get any sleep; he got up from his makeshift bed on the couch. He pulled out his weapons bag and started doing what he always did when he needed to relax and think. He started cleaning all his weapons and making another stock pile of rock salt bullets. There was no such thing as too much ammo.

He sat at the kitchen table for several hours until he noticed the sky outside beginning to lighten up with morning. It was still raining. He put his weapons away and decided to go check on his children.

John opened the boys' bedroom door to find neither of his sons in bed. He frowned. He hadn't heard them get up in the night. He wouldn't have missed them if they'd come downstairs. Then it occurred to him where they might be.

He quietly opened Laney's door. His daughter was snuggled up against Sammy's side sound asleep and snoring softly. Sam's enormous arm was draped over her protectively, his legs tangled in a mess of blankets and comforter. Dean was on the floor at the foot of the bed wrapped in a sleeping bag.

John smiled a rare smile. In spite of how badly he'd screwed up as a father, his children came out okay. They were loyal, loving, and protective of each other. His sons had managed to be everything he wasn't. He knew they'd do anything for Laney; put their lives on the line for her. And that was the problem. No matter how much he wanted his kids to be happy. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't let his daughter be a part of their hunting life. It wasn't just a job, it was their purpose. It was their way of life. He had lost so much already. Whatever happened, he was going to make sure that Laney got a real shot at a normal life.

He closed the door to let them sleep. He knew it was going to be a long time before they got the chance to sleep so peacefully again.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sam opened his eyes to see pale light streaming in through the window. The air smelled heavily of rain. The last thing he remembered was rubbing his sister's back until she'd fallen asleep. He figured his own exhaustion must have overtaken him, because he was still dressed in the clothes he'd been wearing the day before and his neck was stiff from his awkward sleep position. Next to him he felt his sister beginning to stir. It must have been what awakened him. He got up from the bed and stretched his overgrown limbs.

A second later Laney rolled out of bed. She could no longer ignore nature's call. She stumbled to the bathroom, her brother chuckling at her state. Her hair was matted to her face and there was a trail of dried drool at the corner of her mouth.

When she returned from the bathroom, she mumbled a few incoherent words to her brother and flopped face down back into bed. Sam tucked the covers around her and kissed her forehead before going into the other room to change. By the time he emerged from the bathroom his sister was already softly snoring. It didn't look like she was actually going to be awake anytime in the near future, which wasn't a surprise considering she'd gone so long without any real sleep. He tripped over Dean's empty sleeping bag which was strewn on the floor at the foot of the bed _._ He peeked out the window and noticed Dean tinkering around under the hood of his beloved Impala, muttering curses under his breath, which was surprising to him because he had just completely tuned up the Impala less than a month ago, which meant only one thing; he had a lot on his mind.

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"What's up?" asked Sam.

Dean looked at his brother and back up at Laney's bedroom window.

"She's fine. She's still asleep."

Before Dean could say anything, their father and Bobby walked by on the way to John's truck. The look that passed between Dean and John made it clear there was some animosity there.

John glanced up at his daughter's window before getting into his truck and driving away. "We have a few errands to run. We'll be back by dark."

"Okay," said Sam, his eyebrow raised. He wondered what they were up to that was going to keep them out all day.

When the truck disappeared from sight Sam looked at his brother, "What did I miss?"

"We had words last night," answered Dean, who was deep underneath the Impala's hood.

"No kidding," Sam said sarcastically, "Couldn't tell."

Dean popped his head out from under the hood to give his brother a dirty look, before throwing down the tool he was using. He grabbed the rag and wiped at his hands, before leaning against the Impala.

"He's doesn't want Laney to have any part of this."

"That's not really a surprise is it?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"You give the man too much credit, Dean. When it comes to some things, he's got tunnel vision. This is one of them." Sam leaned against the Impala next to his brother. "So what does this mean? What are we going to do?"

"Honestly, I have no freaking idea. But I know I can't break my promise to her. I can't do it."

"Of course not," Sam agreed.

"We're just going to have to work harder to convince Dad she needs to be with us."

"It's not going to be easy."

"Is anything ever easy for us?" countered Dean.

"No, I guess not….what are you going to tell the baby?" asked Sam.

"I probably don't have to tell her anything. I'm sure Dad is going to make his intentions quite clear the second he has a chance."

"How do you think she'll take it?" asked Sam.

"You're asking me?"

"Well, yeah. I was gone for years. I'm not going to pretend that I know her better than you do."

Dean considered that for a moment. "I don't know. The way she's been over the last few days is a totally different side of her that I've never seen before. She's all over the map, moody and stubborn."

"Sounds like someone I know."

"Ha, ha," said Dean sarcastically. "What I'm saying is that she's not usually the most open person. You know. She keeps things inside, always the people pleaser."

"That's true," Sam sighed heavily. His sister was far more complicated a person than he'd ever considered.

"So, I guess we just keep working on Dad…try and get him to see things our way," said Dean, glancing up at his sister's window.

"Given his track record I'm sure it won't be long before he blows town again anyway," declared Sam.

Dean didn't have anything to add. It was true. Dad would be gone the next chance he got.

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Sam was sitting at Bobby's desk on his laptop searching for any possible future gigs. He had no idea what was going to happen in the next few days but it made him feel productive to at least have some leads to go on should they be out on the road again soon.

Dean spent several more hours tinkering around under the hood of his beloved car. It was what he did when he had a lot on his mind and needed to work through something. Dad did the same with his weapons. Laney would clean and organize obsessively. One thing the Winchesters never did well was actually talk to each other about their feelings and lay it all out on the table. That had everything to do with the way they'd been raised. A soldier's children never cry. They suck it up and deal.

Sam was pulled from his thoughts by his father and Bobby's entrance through the front door.

"Hey Dad."

"Where's your brother?"

 _Good to see you too,_ Sam thought dryly. "Went to get grab some dinner."

He nodded his head. "Delaney?"

"Still sleeping."

John nodded again.

"We've been checking on her regularly, she's fine," added Sam. He wanted to make sure his father knew that they were no slouches when it came to taking care of the baby.

"I'm gonna go look in on her," said John as he disappeared up the stairs.

Sam looked at Bobby and rolled his eyes. Bobby shrugged his shoulders before he wandered off to his workroom to make himself scarce.

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John slowly opened his daughter's bedroom door. The window was open, letting the cold, wet air in. She had undoubtedly gotten up at some point to open it. She had a thing for listening to rain. He remembered that when she was a newborn and nothing or no one seemed able to console her when she was upset, Dean had gotten some help to buy a CD with the sounds of nature on it after he'd seen something on television about baby's being soothed by white noise. John had been skeptical, but it turned out that it worked like a charm. Aside from having her back rubbed it was the only other surefire way to get her to sleep and calm her down.

He stepped across the room to get a closer look at his daughter. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest for a few minutes. Everyone who'd ever met her claimed that she looked most like him. But he didn't believe it. He thought they were quick to say it because she had his dark hair and his eyes, so far different from Mary's blonde hair and green eyes. She shared his wife's heart shaped face and porcelain skin. She also had her smile, the same smile that Dean had inherited. Whenever his wife used the full power of her smile on him, he'd melted into submission. Whatever she wanted, she got. It had been many times the same when Delaney was a child. Maybe that was the guilt caused by his frequent absences. He'd been trying and increasingly failing to put that outside of his mind. He'd screwed up his sons lives and all he was trying to do was save his daughter from the same fate. He feared it was too little, too late.

"Dad?"

Laney had awakened and was rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was startled to see that the room was pretty dark. She barely made out the undeniable shape of her father.

"Sorry sweetie. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," she said, sitting up and stretching. She turned on the small bedside lamp, "How long have I been asleep?"

"About 24 hours now."

Laney's eyes widened like saucers, "No way," she said in disbelief.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I could sleep another 24," she answered sheepishly.

"Not a surprise really."

"No, I guess not."

They were both silent for several moments. Laney didn't know what to say and found being in the same room with her father, alone, to be awkward. So much had changed in the nine months since she'd seen him last. She wasn't sure how it was going to affect their relationship, or lack thereof.

"I know we're not especially good at this, but I think we should talk," said John.

"That's an understatement, don't you think?" asked Laney, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it is," he chuckled.

"So, where do we start?"

"I guess I really need you to know that everything I've done…the decisions I've made…wrong or right, I've only wanted what's best for you. I'm only trying to keep you safe. I'm only trying to give you a chance at a normal life."

"What's normal, Dad? I hardly knew how to function at school. Living on the road with you and Sammy and Dean has been my whole life as I've known it. I don't feel like I've missed out on a thing and you know what? Going to school didn't change my feelings about it. When I'm with you guys, I feel useful. I feel like I'm making a difference. I know I don't get to hunt, but I like to think that my contributions matter for something…that I'm actually helping save people," Laney paused to take a breath. That was probably more than she'd said to her father at one time, in years. "You made me think that my brothers didn't want me around anymore. I don't understand why you couldn't be honest with me and tell me that you wanted me to go to school, because you felt it was best for me. Instead, I spent all that time believing that I had suddenly become some kind of burden to have around."

"Honey, I was wrong for that. I guess I thought that if I made you believe it was what your brothers wanted, then it would be easier to get you to go to school and keep you away from this life. You've been following their every move since you were born."

"I don't get why it became a problem all of a sudden."

"What do you mean?"

"Why me being part of this life became a problem all of a sudden? It didn't seem to be an issue until Sam…until after Jess was killed and Sam-" Laney broke off mid-sentence. Something had just occurred to her, "Is this because of the yellow-eyed demon?" she asked. It wasn't until Sam's "gifts" had suddenly started and it was discovered yellow-eyes was responsible for Jess's death as well as their mother's, that he had gotten gung-ho about her having a "normal" life.

"No…well, not entirely, it's just that I woke up one day and realized that you weren't a little girl anymore. You're a young woman who is going to be an adult very soon…and I felt like I had a small chance of changing the direction of your life…of doing right by you."

"But what about what I want? Doesn't that matter?"

"Delaney I don't think you really know the future you're facing if you stay with us. Hunting isn't some job you do and go home at the end of the day. It's a life."

"I'm not stupid, Dad. I know it's dangerous. I know it's demanding and unforgiving and it doesn't pay bills or put food on a table…but it's what I know."

"That's the problem. It's what you know. You can't stay here because it's comfortable, because it's the easiest thing to do."

Laney pinched the space between her eyes in frustration. She was going to have to find a different approach.

"What about my new "gifts"?" she asked using air quotes. "These powers I have? I'm just supposed to go off and have a normal life with this on me now?"

John looked up at the ceiling and breathed a heavy sigh. He'd been thinking about it, a lot. He'd talked at length with Pamela and his good friend and psychic, Missouri Moseley. They had both felt his daughter could have a relatively normal existence even with her gifts. There was no law binding her to hunting because she had supernatural abilities. They had also mentioned that if he forced this on his daughter, he'd probably lose her forever; possibly his sons too.

"I talked to Missouri and she said that she could help you. She can teach you how to control it. You can have a normal life."

Laney took a careful breath. She was trying desperately to keep the tears forming in her eyes. You just didn't cry in front of John Winchester. It was a sign of weakness and he didn't abide by weakness.

Laney took a couple more calming breaths before speaking again. "Are you planning to send me back to Lawrence? To Missouri?"

"I don't know. You liked Pamela. She'd be more than willing to help you too."

"It sounds like you've already made your decision," said Laney, plainly.

"I haven't decided anything yet. There is still a lot to think about. I just wanted you to know what I was thinking. Dean is pretty angry and insistent that I let you become a hunter and I needed you to know my side of things."

"What about my brothers? They're not going to like the idea of sending me off where they can't keep an eye on me."

"Don't worry about what your brothers think. They love you and would keep you with them forever if they could. But they aren't thinking about your future the way I am."

Laney had to hold back from rolling her eyes. Her father clearly still did not understand any of his children. But she'd learned when she was just a little girl that you couldn't argue with John. He was stubborn and his word was considered gospel in the household. Whatever he decided was going to be what happened and she had another year before she turned 18 and could do whatever she damn well pleased. She thought about sharing what she had learned about yellow-eyes in her vision. She believed strongly that although it didn't seem he could just kill her outright, he'd set his sights on making it happen one way or another. Maybe she should just go and do what her father wanted. If her brothers got in the way of yellow-eyes attempts on her and something happened to them, she couldn't live with herself. It would be protecting them. She'd be willing to live without them, if it kept them alive.

Laney's head was spinning with all the possibilities and the ramifications. She couldn't think about it anymore. She felt exhaustion pulling at her once again.

John recognizing his daughter's fatigue decided it was best to shelve the discussion for the moment. He was just glad to have gotten the opportunity to speak to her about his intentions without his sons around to make the situation more tenuous than it already was.

"Listen, we'll talk about it more later. You go back to sleep, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

John ran his hands over her messy hair as she lay back down and pulled the covers over her.

"Sleep well sweetheart."

Laney couldn't say anything back. She nodded a yes and waited for the door to close before she let her long held back tears fall freely.

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Dean came in the door juggling yet another case of beer and several bags of takeout food.

"The shrimp still asleep?" he asked Sam, who was still sitting at his laptop, but staring off in space.

"Huh?" he said, looking up at his brother, "Oh, yeah, I think so."

"You think so?"

"Dad's back. He went to check up on her, but he's been up there awhile. I'm pretty sure I heard them talking."

Dean's jaw clenched. _Divide and conquer._ His father was up to his usual tricks; which he normally admired. But this was different. This was family.

Sam gave him a look that matched his own. He stood up and walked over to help his brother with the bags, pulling out several Styrofoam containers. "Waffles?" he asked, smiling at his big brother.

"I thought she'd be pretty hungry by now. She's been sleeping for a full day."

"Very thoughtful of you," kidded Sam.

Before Dean could come up with a retort, their father was coming down the stairs.

"Where's Laney?" asked Sam, "I could have sworn I heard her talking."

"She was," he answered, looking at Dean, "But she's still tired. She's already fallen asleep again."

John reached over for the case of beer and grabbed a cold one. He opened it and took a long swig before looking back at his sons.

"What did you guys talk about?" asked Sam, realizing that Dean wasn't interested in speaking to their father just yet.

"I let her know what's been on my mind…about her continuing on with us, that it's not safe."

Dean's jaw clenched so tightly, he was sure it was going to break. "What did she say?" he asked out of clenched teeth.

"She put up a decent argument. I told her I hadn't decided anything for sure. And we're going to leave it at that for now," said John in a tone that invited no argument.

Dean and Sam sighed at the same time and exchanged loaded looks. They both reached for a beer. They sat around the table eating and drinking in complete silence for the rest of the evening.

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When Laney fell asleep again, the dreams that had mercifully left her alone for the first 24 hours were back. Her memory of meeting her family for the first time and the subsequent murder of her mother were repeated in a never ending loop over and over in her mind. Nothing about it changed, it all stayed the same. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to shut it off.

Sam was asleep in the next room, sprawled out on the bed, glad for the space. His cramped night of sleep the night before had left him sore. He'd left the doors between the rooms open so he could hear if anything happened in the night.

Dean had decided to camp out again on Laney's bedroom floor. He felt the need to be near her. He'd slept fitfully, tossing and turning on the uncomfortable floor. He was immediately alert when he heard his sister's hurried breathing. He stood up from the floor and sat down lightly on the bed next to her. She appeared to be having a nightmare. His heart shot up in his throat. _Please don't let this be happening again._

"Leave my mother alone," she whispered in a frightened voice.

Dean put his hand on his sister's shoulder and gently shook her. She woke up with a start.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, "Dean?"

"Sorry, kiddo…I didn't want to wake you…sounded like you were having a nightmare."

"Yeah," she whispered, "I'm okay though."

"You sure?" he asked, not really believing her. She had a haunted look on her face.

"No," she whispered, smiling slightly.

Dean scooted up on the bed and sat next to her. She snuggled up into his side, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm scared," she said.

"It's okay, go back to sleep, I'll be right here."

She shook her head, "No, I'm scared of what's happening to me. Scared about where I'm going to end up."

"I promised you that I wasn't going to let Dad separate us and I'm going to keep that promise."

"I know."

"Well if you know that, then you don't need to worry about anything else."

Laney smiled, "Okay." She closed her eyes and enjoyed the comfort of her big brother's presence. When she was with him and Sammy she felt like nothing in the world could touch her. She could sense his tension though. His whole aura was thick with it; tension, fear, and uncertainty; most of it her fault. She was going to have to fix that one way or another.

For the moment, she let the waves of love and security coming from both of her brothers wash over her before she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews/messages. It keeps me excited about this project. Enjoy!**

Chapter 16

When Laney next woke up she was alone in her bed. She turned over to look out of her open window. The sky was just barely beginning to lighten and a heavy rain was still falling. She loved the rain, but even so, she thought it might be time for a little sunshine. She stretched out her short limbs as far as she could. She estimated she'd been in bed for close to 36 hours. All that time in bed had left her stiff and slightly sore. But at least she felt completely rested for the first time in ages.

She got up from bed, the conversation between her and her father going through her mind. She looked out the window and noticed her father's truck was gone. She vaguely remembered overhearing her father telling Sam and Dean that he and Bobby had some kind of lead on something and might not be back until nightfall.

She rifled through her bags to find a clean outfit and walked into the bathroom as quietly as possible. Her brothers had left the door on their side open. She could see that they were both sprawled out on their respective beds sound asleep and snoring. She closed their door as softly as possible before hopping into the shower. She felt grimy so she took the extra time to wash her long hair twice before shutting the water off and dressing quickly.

She opened her brothers' door again and was glad to see that they were still sound asleep. She closed the door on her end and got to work cleaning up. Cleaning and organizing was one of the best ways she was able to work through her issues. She didn't know why, but it always calmed her down and helped her focus. After all the sleep she'd gotten she was feeling remarkably like her old self again, enough to feel totally embarrassed by her behavior over the last week. That was not a person she enjoyed being.

After her room was as clean as it could possibly be, she walked downstairs to find plenty of work available to her. She shuddered at the mess. _Geez, take a couple of days off and look what happens._ She got to work picking up all the empty beer bottles and food containers. She scrubbed the floors and the counters, organized Bobby's books, and put everything in its proper place. When she was finished, she went over it again with a fine tooth comb. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't stand the thought of being sent away from her family; even though she had to admit, with the clarity brought on by plenty of sleep, that her father was not wrong. Not entirely, anyway. She understood what he was trying to do and had to concede that his intentions were good, although his execution was seriously shitty. The only issue she had come to a firm conclusion on was that she was going to have to tell her family about her memories. They had to know that yellow-eyes had being trying to kill her when their mother interceded. He'd killed her mother just because she was there; just because he was angry. They had to know that he was still after her now. She was sure that new information was going to seal her fate, and her father would send her off faster than she could blink. _At least I don't have to go back to school,_ she thought dryly.

Laney scrubbed the inside of Bobby's refrigerator, completely lost in thought.

"Been busy I see."

Laney jumped up banging her head on the open freezer door.

"Ow! Jesus Dean, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry, kid. Your head okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, rubbing at her scalp, "I'll live."

"What were you thinking about that you didn't even hear me coming?"

"Life."

"Is that all?" he chuckled.

"That about sums it up," Laney answered. She tossed the used dish rags in the sink and closed the refrigerator doors.

Dean watched her closely. She looked better than she had in days. The bruise she'd obtained earlier in the week was just about completely faded and the circles were gone from under her eyes. She was still pale and thin, but nothing some food and a little sun couldn't fix.

"Where's Sammy?" she asked.

"Still sleeping."

"Dad and Bobby are still out."

"Yeah, I don't think they'll be back until tonight."

"Do you know what they're up to?"

Dean threw his hands up in the air, "You know Dad…need to know basis and everything."

She nodded at her brother. She knew her Dad all right. _I guess I should be grateful for another day with my brothers._

"You hungry?" he asked.

Laney had been so caught up in her obsessive cleaning that she hadn't stopped to even eat. Now that Dean had mentioned food, her stomach was growling.

"I'm starving," she admitted.

"I thought you might be. You want to grab some breakfast? We can go into to town."

"Sounds perfect…should we wake Sammy?"

"Nah, just me and you, like old times," he smiled, "Besides Sasquatch needs the extra beauty sleep."

"You should leave him a note so he doesn't worry."

"Yeah, good idea," said Dean. With all that had happened he'd only assume the worse when he woke up to an empty house.

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"Oh my God, these are seriously the best pecan waffles ever," said Laney, halfway through her second helping.

Dean chuckled at his sister. She'd always had an appetite like his and it was good to see that it had come back with a vengeance.

"Don't you ever get tired of eating breakfast for like every meal of the day?" he joked.

"Never…most important meal of the day, you know."

"Yeah, but three times a day?"

"I can't help it," she shrugged, "Don't you ever get tired of bacon cheeseburgers?"

"Touché."

"I missed this," sighed Laney.

Dean didn't have to ask what she meant. He knew exactly what she was talking about. All the years on the road, when it was just the two of them, he'd missed it too. Dad had been around off and on most of that time, but the best times had always been when it was just them, on the open road, nobody to boss them around. They had both missed Sammy, but they had found a really good rhythm working together.

"Me too." He gave her a small sad smile because he knew things would never be the same again.

They continued to eat in comfortable silence. When Laney had finished her meal, she decided to broach what she knew was a delicate subject.

"So, give me the scoop, did you and Dad have an argument?"

"How did you know?"

"Just a feeling."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nothing psychic, Dean," she said, throwing up in her hands in exasperation, "Just when Dad and I talked last night, I got the feeling that you guys had words."

"Yeah, we did," conceded Dean.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"Because I know you two were fighting about me and that's not what I wanted."

"Nothing to be sorry for. I'm a grown man. Dad's a grown man. We're not always going to see eye to eye on everything."

Laney raised an eyebrow in doubt, "Hmm, maybe not, but I know how much you respect him and well, you can't ignore the fact that you've always kind of followed his orders."

Dean shoved a french fry in his mouth. He didn't have a comment on that. It was true; he always followed his father's orders without hesitation. His father was the best hunter around and his instincts were impeccable. But this was different. This had to do with family, and he had to admit that when it came to family, Dad more often than not, got it wrong. All he had to do, was look at what happened with Sam.

Dean sighed and pushed his plate away. "Best thing you can do is not worry about it. This is between me and Dad, okay? I think you probably have enough worries right now."

"You mean my freaky mind mojo?" asked Laney pointedly.

Dean nodded, "How is that by the way? Anything new going on? Any new visions? You wouldn't happen to know this week's winning lotto numbers would you?"

Laney glared at her brother. "Ha, ha….and no, nothing new…Pamela taught me some basic blocking techniques and that's what I've been doing. Whenever I let my guard down slightly, I can feel…well, I don't know how to describe it. But I feel the energy… I feel my power right there. I just don't know how to use it…and to be honest, I'm afraid of even going there."

"Well, you are the brains of this operation, so I'm sure you'll have it mastered in no time. And I'll help you anyway I can."

She nodded at her big brother. "I know."

"Good."

"Thank you, Dean…for everything," said Laney, looking her brother in the eye, "Thank you for charging in and saving the day…and for having my back…and not treating me like I'm some kind of freak."

"I never said you weren't a freak," he smirked.

"Ha, ha…I'm trying to thank you."

"You're welcome. But you don't have to thank me. I'm your big brother, it's my job."

"You're more than just my big brother you know."

Dean slightly blushed and squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "Please don't get all chick-flick on me. Save that crap for Sammy."

Laney smiled. "Speaking of Sammy, we should get back. I don't want him to worry."

"Yeah, all right," said Dean reluctantly. He had really enjoyed the one on one time with his sister. He wasn't sure how much more opportunities for it there were going to be.

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"Dude, I'm starving. Why didn't you wake me?" asked Sam, as Laney and Dean came in through the front door.

Laney pulled a bag from behind her back and raised it in front of her brother's face. "I didn't forget you Sammy."

He grabbed the bag from his sister a pulled the container out. He smiled. "You got my favorite."

"You're welcome."

He sat down at the table and dug into his food. Laney came around and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Sam asked his sister.

"I was hoping Pamela was going to be back. I have a lot of learning to do if I'm going to keep my mojo in check."

Laney noticed a look pass between her brothers. "What? What's wrong?"

"Uh…I forgot to tell you. Pamela called me last night. She got roped into a hunt down in Florida…pretty important, so it's gonna be a week or more before she's back," said Dean, apologetically.

"Huh, I guess I'll have to find something else to pass the time," said Laney, nonchalantly. She turned away from her brothers and grabbed some clean rags and a bucket, "I'll be upstairs."

"Laney, wait," said Dean.

"It's okay guys. She'll be back when she's back. I'm all right." She offered them a sincere smile and walked upstairs.

"Crap," said Dean.

"What?"

"I think I liked her better a couple days ago."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam, confused.

"She's back to her old self. You know the one who pretends nothing is ever bothering her. Miss Logic and Reason."

"Yeah, maybe…I don't know, I think she's dealing with it the best way she knows how."

"I don't think she's dealing at all."

"This is hard for her. Give her a little time and space to work it out."

Dean considered what his brother was saying. He disagreed with him. Laney was like him when it came to hiding feelings. She didn't want them to worry so she was going back to keeping it inside. He just wished that she didn't feel weak for it, like he knew she did. But he also couldn't relate to what was happening to her. She had these new "powers" or "gifts". He wasn't sure how he would handle it himself. So far she'd done pretty damn good for a 17 year old girl.

"Yeah, we'll see," he said, after a moment.

"Well, anyway…instead of waiting for Dad to enlighten us with his new information I've been putting together a list of possible cases for us."

"Anything interesting?" asked Dean suddenly excited. Nothing got his juices flowing more than the thought of a new hunt.

"Got a few possibilities."

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Laney cleaned the second floor of Bobby's place top to bottom, even though there wasn't much to do. The second floor was where she and her brothers stayed whenever they were passing through town. Bobby didn't go up there otherwise. Aside from being pretty dusty, it was as she left it 9 months earlier.

She was disappointed that Pamela wasn't going to be back soon. Actually, she was really surprised by how disappointed she was. She'd enjoyed Pamela's company, as brief as it was. It had been nice to have a woman's presence around. She's never really missed what she'd never had, but now the lack of mother figure in her life felt like a gaping hole. She didn't even care so much about not having someone to work through her psychic gifts with. She just wanted the company. Her brothers were wonderful, but they were men and there were certain things she just couldn't commiserate with them about.

Unable to find anything else to clean or straighten out, Laney pulled out her laptop from her bag. It had been awhile since she'd been online. She had her computer programmed to open up to the local news page wherever she was at the time. She was stunned to see the headline.

" **MOM AND TWO YOUNG CHILDREN KILLED IN HEAD ON COLLISION WITH SEMI-TRUCK ON ROUTE 54"**

Laney clicked on the link to read the article.

 _Audrey Landry, age 29 and her two young daughters, Angela, 6, and Bianca, 3, were killed Tuesday night when a semi-truck carrying a full load of lumber crossed over to the oncoming lane and slammed into the mini-van driven by Landry. Local police say the family, who were on their way to visit Landry's mother in Carthage, were killed instantly. Preliminary reports indicate the driver of the semi-truck may have fallen asleep behind the wheel. No charges have yet been filed. A memorial is set for Friday evening at Rose Lawn Church in East Macon._

"Oh my God," whispered Laney. The accident had happened only a few miles away. With all that had happened, she had actually forgotten to check up on what happened to the children she had seen. Once again, she was overwhelmed with the fact that she'd been helpless to stop what had happened. It was the cruelest of jokes.

Laney shut the laptop and curled up on the bed and cried herself to sleep, careful to keep her tears as silent as possible so as not to bother her brothers.

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"She's asleep again," said Sam. He'd gone up to check on his sister after it had been a couple of hours since she'd shown her face.

"You have that look on your face," said Dean.

"What look?"

"That broody pensive look."

"Meh…I don't know…something doesn't feel right."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Great, here we go."

"What?"

"The whole psychic connection thing."

"Shut up, Dean…it's not that. I don't know…"

"I get it Sammy. You're more in tune with your feminine side so you can sense when she's upset. Nothing to be ashamed of bro."

"Bite me."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm so bored," said Sam.

"No kidding…we haven't had this long of break since….well since ever."

"I wish Dad would just get his ass back here so we can get a move on this thing. If he knows something about yellow-eyes then we should be acting on it already instead of wringing our hands over it."

"I'm sure he's got a plan," said Dean.

"I'm sure he does…but when is he going to let us in on it?"

"When he's ready."

"Whenever that is," scoffed Sam.

"Yeah, well in the meantime, let's get our shit together. I'm going to get all the weapons cleaned, stock up on some ammo. Make sure we're ready to roll when we get the word. Let's not sit around with our thumbs up our asses."

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Laney's sleep was disturbed by nightmares. The death of the Landry family intermingled with her memories of her mother's death wouldn't leave her alone. When she finally woke up, she felt neither rested nor calmed. A heavy sadness hung over her head. She didn't know how to handle it. Logically, she knew that there was nothing she could have done to prevent what happened to them. She knew that it wasn't even her fault. It was fated to happen. She'd been an unwilling witness. She knew this logically. But in her heart she couldn't help but feel some sort of responsibility. The pain she felt was sharp and real; most of all for the first time she could ever remember she truly felt the loss of her mother.

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"Hey Sammy," said Laney, walking into Bobby's office area.

"Hey squirt," he said, briefly glancing up from his laptop.

"Where's Dean?"

"He's out back messing with the weapons trunk."

"Okay."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine…I just needed to ask him something."

"Okay." Sam watched his sister walk away. Something was up. He wished she would share with him. He had to admit that it bothered him sometimes that she wanted Dean more than him. He understood, of course, but it bothered him nonetheless. It was his fault, he'd left. As much as he wanted to keep in touch with her those years he was at school, contact had been intermittent at best. All he could do was try and make up for it as best as he could and be there for her when she sought him out.

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"Hey Deano," said Laney. Her brother was doing some work with the trunk of his Impala.

"New weapons rack?"

"Yup…thought we'd add some stuff to our stash."

"Sweet."

"Yeah, it is," he smirked, admiring his handiwork. He may not have been the smartest Winchester, but he was good with his hands.

He gave his sister an appraising look. "What's on your mind shrimp?"

"I have a favor to ask," she said.

"Shoot."

"I need you to drive me somewhere."

"Okay…where?"

"Out on Route 54, mile marker 72."

"Okay," he said slowly, "That's pretty specific. Any particular reason?"

Laney chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before answering.

"That accident…the one I witnessed. That's where it happened."

Dean put his tools down and wiped his hands with a rag. He turned to give his sister his full attention.

"How do you know?"

"I saw it, online. I wasn't even looking for it; it just kind of popped up. It happened here, just outside of Carthage."

"So, why do you want to go to the scene of the accident?"

"Her kids…the two kids in the van with her. They were only six and three years old."

"Yeah?" said Dean, quietly.

"They were killed too. The whole family…just wiped out...like that," said Laney, snapping her fingers.

Dean walked up to put his hands on his sister's shoulder, but she took a step back. She didn't want to be comforted. If her brother showed her any measure of sympathy she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep her emotions in check. She was tired of breaking down in front of them. She was supposed to be showing them how strong she was. They needed to believe she had what it took to be a hunter. She couldn't afford to be a big blubbering mess every time things got tough.

Dean pulled his hands back, a little hurt. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said in a neutral tone. "It wasn't your fault, you know" he added.

"I know that," she retorted plainly. "I just, I need to go there. I can't explain it. Will you take me?"

Dean hesitated a moment before answering, briefly weighing the pros and cons. "Of course," he answered, "It'll take me a few minutes to finish this up, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," said Laney, sadly. She took a seat on a cinder block under the garage awning, watching the rain fall, and hoping for some peace.

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Thirty minutes later they were on their way. Dean had roped Sam into coming along, giving him a very brief update on what had happened and where they were going. It was a short drive to the accident site. Dean wasn't sure what good it wasn't going to do, but she'd asked him to do it. If it was important to her, it was important to him.

"What kinds of things did Mom like to do?" asked Laney.

Dean and Sam both looked at each other. _Okay, that came out of nowhere._

"Uh…why do you ask?" Dean asked. Laney had never asked much about their mother. They always thought it had to do with the fact that it was still an extremely sensitive and painful subject; even seventeen years later.

"I don't know. I was just wondering. It kind of occurred to me that I don't know much about her, you know? I'm curious I guess. But if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay."

"No, no, it's okay, kiddo," soothed Dean, "You just caught me off guard."

"Sorry."

"No worries."

Dean thought for a moment. "Well, she loved to read," he said, smiling at the memory, "A lot…I mean sometimes she would read a book a day. Her nose was always in a book. Maybe that's why you like to read so much. When she was pregnant with you, she would read to you out loud."

Laney smiled.

"Yeah, she never got tired of it," said Sam, "I used to drag bedtime out by begging her to read me book after book at night."

"I wasn't much into books, obviously…but she would read me articles from muscle car magazines," said Dean with a chuckle. "I left the girly stuff to Sam, he dug that crap."

Sam punched his brother in the shoulder.

"Ouch…well you did."

"Is that why you didn't want a sister?"

"What? Who told you that?" asked Dean, surprised.

 _Oops._ "Uh, I think Dad mentioned it to me once," she lied, "He said you didn't even want to meet me when I was born."

"Well, I didn't know how cool you'd turn out to be."

"Smooth," said Laney.

"Thanks."

"What was her favorite food?"

"Uh…anything sweet," Dean said slowly, once again caught off guard. "She liked to bake a lot. Cakes, cookies, pies…there was always something different every day."

"Now I know why you love pie so much," said Laney.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Dean. He'd never made the connection before. But it made sense. He would come home from school and his mother would always have some new thing she'd baked for him. Pie had been both of their favorites.

Laney turned her attention back to the passing scenery. Dean and Sam exchanged perplexed looks. The questions seemed totally random and completely unexpected. Dean was especially frustrated because it meant he didn't at all have a handle on what was going on in her head. Why all of a sudden was she asking questions about Mom? Mom was a topic rarely brought up in day to day conversation. It was such a painful topic.

"Slow down," said Laney, breaking into his thoughts. "It's the next marker."

Dean slowed the Impala down. They didn't even need to look for the next marker. It was pretty clear where the accident had occurred. There was a long trail of fresh skid marks across the pavement. Shattered glass and metal where spread across the side of the road for a good hundred feet before. Dean pulled the car off the side of the road, careful to avoid the debris.

Laney pulled the hood of her jacket over her head. It was still raining. "I won't be long," she said, stepping from the car.

Sam and Dean waited for her to close the car door before speaking. "Should we go out there?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. What do you think?" asked Dean.

"I have no clue."

"We'll just watch her," said Dean.

"What's with questions about Mom all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, Sammy. But this is making me crazy."

"What is?"

"This unpredictability…it's not like her. I wish she would just talk to us, like she was before."

"Yeah, me too." Sam was beginning to realize that maybe giving Laney her space wasn't necessarily the healthiest thing for her. Sooner or later she was going to buckle under the pressure. The sooner they could get her to be more open with them, the better it would be for everyone.

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Laney shut the door behind her, knowing full well her brothers were going to start talking about her odd behavior. She wasn't sure why she'd asked questions about her Mom suddenly. It just kind of came out. She wasn't sure what she was going to accomplish by being at the crash site either. Now that she was here, she didn't even know what to do.

She followed the side of the road, alongside the skid marks. Closing her eyes she could visualize the semi-trucks trajectory. She recalled the horror the woman had felt when she saw it coming at her. She felt the love for her daughters, and the abject terror at something happening to them. Laney started to think that maybe it was better they had all died together. Those girls wouldn't have to grow up without a mother like she and her brothers had. Wherever they were now, at least they were together.

Laney came to a stop when she realized she was standing right at the point of impact; the very spot the young family had been wiped from the earth. Before she could let her logical brain talk her out of it, she opened up her mind, letting go of some of the layers of barrier she'd set up. Almost instantly she felt a powerful burst of energy slam into her like a punch in the gut. She gasped and doubled over.

"Laney!" shouted Dean.

"Baby!" shouted Sam, running up behind his brother who was already at their sister's side.

Laney put a hand up. "It's okay, I'm okay." She stood up slowly, taking a deep breath.

"What happened?" asked Dean, breathlessly.

Laney shook her head. "Death echo."

"A what?"

"A death echo…I've read about it before…when anyone dies they leave behind an echo, like an imprint of their energy departing this realm of existence. When it's especially traumatic the echo is stronger. For someone normal they might feel a chill run through them or something when they pass the spot of death…I guess for someone like me, when I opened up my mind a little- well it hit me hard."

"Are you sure your okay?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Caught me off guard."

Dean ran his hands through his hair. This shit was getting weirder. "Maybe you should hold back on testing out your powers, huh kid?"

Sam gave Dean a stern look. "What?" mouthed Dean silently. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you're probably right," she answered. _Either that or test it out when you guys aren't around to hover over me._

"You ready to get out of here?" asked Dean, not sure of what else to suggest.

Laney scratched her head for a moment. She didn't know what the visit was supposed to accomplish other than making her suddenly physically ill. Before she could supply an answer she felt the unmistakable taste of bile of in her throat, she managed to run several feet to the bushes at the side of the road before emptying the contents of her stomach all over the place. Dean and Sam stayed back just behind her, wincing with each gag, until she was finally done.

She stood up shakily on her wobbly legs. She was sweaty and tired. It always amazed her how much vomiting could take out of a person. She wiped her face with the back of her hand before walking over to her brothers who were both gazing at her intently with identical worried expressions.

She waved a hand, dismissively. "No worries guys. Pamela assures me this is all par for the course."

"Puking your guts out is par for the course?" asked Dean, putting a hand up to his sister face to check for fever.

Laney pointed a finger at her head, "All part of the "gift"…working the kinks out, getting used to it and all…I guess there's a whole process to it…genius or not, I'm apparently not immune," she said, slightly breathless.

"Huh," grunted Dean.

"Sure you're okay though?" asked Sam. Whenever he had a vision, it was painful and it wiped him out for a few hours. He was worried about her.

"Fantastic," she answered sarcastically. "We can go now."

Laney couldn't feel more like a freak if it were tattooed on her forehead. She now had some idea of what it must have felt like for Sammy a year ago when his visions first started. Both she and Dean had treated him with kid gloves. They were scared for him and had to admit they were a tiny bit scared of him. No one knew what it meant at the time. Hell, they still didn't know what it meant. At least they had gotten over it- being scared of him anyway- they were still scared for him all the time.

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When they arrived back at Bobby's in late afternoon they were surprised to see their father's truck in the driveway. He was standing on the front porch watching them drive in. Laney took a quick peek at herself in the rearview mirror, glad that her appearance was normal.

"Guys, where have you been?" John asked, suspiciously.

"We got a little stir crazy and went into town for a bit," lied Dean, "Been back long?"

"Not long," he said, studying his children carefully, "Come on inside we've got some things to talk about."

They all filed in the house. Laney made a beeline for the stairs. "I'll leave you guys to it."

"This conversation includes you too," said John.

Laney raised an eyebrow. _Damn._ "Okay."

She joined her brothers in Bobby's living room. John leaned back against the desk where Bobby was sitting in a chair just behind him with a glass of whiskey in hand.

 _Well this can't be good,_ thought Laney.

The three Winchester siblings exchanged nervous glances. They waited expectantly for their father to speak.

"Okay, Dad, what do you want to talk about?" asked Sam impatiently.

John looked at Bobby who took a swig from his glass.

"We found the Colt."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Laney's eyes went wide with shock. _Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap,_ she chanted over and over in her head. When she'd gone to school that had been her father's burning mission; find the Colt. The only thing that he believed could kill yellow-eyes. That was the end game in all of this; killing yellow-eyes.

She exchanged looks with her brothers.

"You have it? You have the Colt?" asked Dean.

"Yes, we got it," said John, half-smiling. "It wasn't easy, a good man died, but we got it."

"So, what now?" asked Sam. Killing yellow-eyes and avenging Jessica and his mother's death, was what he'd been working towards for the last year. If the Colt was the only way that could happen, then he wanted in on it.

"The trail for the yellow-eyed demon," said John, looking pointedly at his daughter, "has gone cold."

"I thought you had a good fix on him?" asked Dean, confused.

"I did…I had a pretty good idea…but I haven't seen any activity in the last month or so giving any indication of his location."

Sam shook his head in frustration. "You're kidding me right? We finally have the one thing that can kill this son of a bitch and now we don't know where he is?"

"Calm down, son. We'll find him."

"How?" demanded Sam.

Dean gave his brother a look begging him to calm down. He got it. He got why his brother was so upset, but they couldn't just run off half-cocked looking for the damn thing. Someone could easily get killed, and he wasn't crazy about the idea of losing any of his family.

"That's where you come in Delaney."

Laney's snapped up, she'd been staring at her feet. "Me?"

"Laney?" asked Dean and Sam, simultaneously.

"I need your computer expertise."

Sam and Dean both noticeably relaxed. That seemed benign enough.

"Oh-kay," she said slowly, "What do you need?"

"I've found patterns in the way the special children were chosen, signs and omens that have helped me figure out where he's been…where he might be next…I think it's possible he's after some more children."

Laney raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"

John nodded, "Yeah."

"Okay, so what do you want me do?"

"You think you can create a computer program or something that might be able to track him. There's so much I have to go through, so much information that I have to comb through to find these patterns that I'm worried about wasting too much time on it. I know you've created some programs like this in the past for other hunters."

Laney nodded her head. She'd created computer databases full of supernatural information, kind of like an online encyclopedia. She enjoyed doing it.

"Sure…just give me what you have…I'm not sure how long it's going to take though. A day or two maybe…"

"That's fine."

Laney was biting her lip. She wasn't sure if this was the right time to bring up her memories, but she couldn't help it. The burden of the secret was eating at her. She wanted to put it out all on the table and if there was the slightest possibility that it could help in the search she had to put it out there.

"What is it shrimp? You look like you have something on your mind," said Dean. He was so in tuned to every little expression, sigh, and change in demeanor in his sister that he could see that something was going on. His father wouldn't have noticed.

Laney took a deep breath. "There's something I need to share with you all…that I discovered when I was working with Pamela…it's not easy for me to talk about and I've been debating about it for awhile and I don't know what difference this makes but-"

"Laney, just spit it out," said Dean.

Laney looked at Bobby who took another swig of whiskey and wished she could take a drink as well.

She looked at her brothers. "You guys remember those nightmares I told you I was having…the ones that started this whole psychic business?"

"Yeah," said Dean slowly, already not liking where this was going.

"They're the ones I tried to block Pamela from seeing…at the time I didn't know they were significant in anyway. I mean -"

Dean gave her an impatient sigh. Her father gave her one of his famous piercing looks.

"Sorry-"

Dean softened his expression.

 _Here it goes._ "When I let Pamela in to see them, she told me later…that they weren't nightmares…they were memories. Which I didn't think was possible, because they were memories…of…of…me as a newborn."

Laney heard the sharp intake of breath from the men in the room. Dean looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"I had a memory of meeting Sammy and Dean," said Laney, smiling at them.

"Laney, what else do you remember?" asked Dean.

"I saw the night Mom was killed," she said, just above a whisper.

Dean shook his head in disbelief, "You're just telling us this now?"

"Dean, relax…think of all the crap she's been through just this week," said Sam.

"I'm well aware, Sam, I was there."

"Boys," said John, sharply. He waited until his sons relaxed before he continued speaking, "You're absolutely sure that these were real memories?"

"Pamela assures me that they are," said Laney, beginning to get frustrated. "I remember meeting Sammy; he was upset that you and Mom hadn't agreed on a name for me. She said that you wanted to get to know me first and that Sam could help you decide on a name. Dean didn't want to meet me, because he thought a little sister would just be a brat and no fun."

Dean's eyes widened. The questions she'd been asking about Mom; it made more sense now.

"What else did you remember?" asked John.

Laney looked to the floor. This was the part she didn't want to get into. She wasn't interested in dredging up painful memories for everyone. "I saw what happened the night Mom was killed."

She noticed Bobby finishing off his glass of whiskey and pouring a new one. Sam and Dean were looking at her wide-eyed. John's expression was neutral as usual.

"Tell us," said Dean, trying to keep his impatience in check.

"I remember yellow-eyes standing over me in my crib. He was talking to me. He said he was there to kill me… that I couldn't be allowed to live, because I would get in the way of his plans…"

"What plans?" interrupted Sam.

"His plans for you, Sammy. He didn't say what they were. He just said that me being alive was bad for him."

Sam's face fell. He knew he was one of the special children, he just wished he knew what it meant.

Laney continued when no one else spoke, "Mom came into the room and she saw him there. She tried to scream for Dad, but he pinned her to the wall. He put his hand out, and some kind of white, hot light came out, when he tried to do whatever it was to me, he couldn't. He couldn't kill me. He got so angry…that's when he killed Mom. He killed her because he couldn't kill me and he was angry." The words rushed out in one long string.

"It's not your fault," said Dean, knowing exactly what his sister was thinking.

Laney gave him a doubtful expression before turning to her father. She realized he was still standing in the same spot with the same non-expression on his face. Suddenly it clicked in her brain.

"You knew about this didn't you?" she asked her father, her eyes narrowing at him. He was remaining far too calm and quiet, and completely unsurprised by her revelation.

Dean and Sam swung around to look at their father.

John took a moment before finally answering with a sigh, "Yes, I did."

"What?" demanded Sam, "What do you mean you knew?"

"What the hell is going on?" asked Dean.

"I found out about a year ago. A demon I crossed paths with, gave me the information."

"Just gave it to you?" asked Dean.

"Well, I got it out of him."

"Why didn't you say anything Dad?" asked Laney.

"Because it doesn't change anything…your mother is still gone and this bastard still needs to die."

"But Dad it changes everything!" exclaimed Dean, "Yellow-eyes was trying to kill your daughter, for God's sake. How could that mean nothing?"

"That's why you sent me off isn't it? Because you found out," Laney interjected.

"Yes," said John without hesitation. He figured he was busted so he might as well come out with it all. "I wanted you out of the picture. Once he's dead, it's over and I knew I was close to getting him."

"Sending me off to school didn't work!"

"I didn't know you were going to have these gifts. I swear. All I knew was that he had been after you that night and no one knows why."

"He's after me now!"

"What are you talking about Laney?" demanded Dean.

"He's after me now," said Laney softly.

"Come again?" said John.

"It's no accident that I linked with that reaper. When I broke the link…it was difficult because the reaper was fighting me back. It was trying to keep me linked. It didn't make any sense. What difference would it have made to it? And then when I broke it, I saw him as I broke it. I saw yellow-eyes, he was there. He's behind it."

"Are you sure?" John demanded.

"I'm positive."

Sam and Dean both let out a stream of curses.

"What the hell? This is all sorts of jacked up," said Dean.

"Why didn't you tell us this right away? Sam asked, with a hurt tone.

"I…I don't know. I was worried about what you and Dean would think…knowing that Mom was killed all because she got in the way of yellow-eyes trying to kill me and you guys being freaked by mind mojo…so much going on."

Dean gave her an incredulous look. "I'll say it again; it's not your fault."

Laney nodded her head. It didn't matter how many times they said it, she was never going to believe it. It made perfectly logical sense. There was no stretch to be made. The fact that her father knew for a year was hard to swallow. He knew and he'd sent her away because he couldn't stand to look at her.

Bobby had gotten up from his spot behind his desk. He hadn't said a word during the whole exchange, though from the look on his face, he had plenty to say. He tried to stay out of Winchester family affairs, especially when John was present. He decided he'd better lay some salt lines, make sure they were demon warded. If yellow-eyes was out there, he sure as hell wasn't getting in.

"Dean's right," affirmed Sam.

Laney heard what they were saying and she believed they meant it for the most part, but she noticed how neither of her brothers had taken a step towards her. They maintained a healthy distance. That meant more to her than words. She felt ready to burst. If she stayed in the room with them any longer she was going to lose it, and she just couldn't.

"Well, unless there are anymore earth shattering revelations I think I'll be excusing myself," she said.

"Where are you going?" asked John

"I'm going to get started on that computer program."

Dean looked between his sister's retreating figure and his father's face, not sure what to do; go talk to his sister or have a very serious talk with Dad. Probably better to leave his sister alone.

Sam sat down hard on the sofa. Just when he thought that their life couldn't get anymore messed up, it went and punched him in the gut, as a reminder to never get comfortable. He was worried about his sister. He was worried about the revelation of why his mother had been killed. It confirmed even further that the demon had some kind of plans for him; plans that were so big, his sister was wanted dead.

Dean rubbed his hands over through his hair. "What now Dad?"

"Like I said before, this doesn't really change anything."

"What?"

"I go after yellow-eyes as planned."

"You? What about us?" demanded Sam, jumping up from the couch.

"Right now, figuring out how to keep your sister out of harm's way is your priority."

"If you're going after yellow-eyes, I want to be there. I deserve to be there. He killed Jessica," said Sam, furiously. He wasn't about to let his father keep him out of this particular fight.

"Son, I know you want your vengeance. I know you do. But think about the bigger picture here. Yellow-eyes wants you for some plan we have no idea about. He's after your sister. He tried to kill her as an infant and for some reason he couldn't and now she has some kind of psychic powers and he's after her again. I can't lead him right to her."

"He got to her already!" yelled Sam.

"All the more reason we need her somewhere safe. When the time comes to go after this thing, I may need some back up and there are no better hunters out there than you two. But your sister can't be around."

"Just where do you think you are going to send her Dad. If he was able to get to her through her mind…there is no safe place," said Dean.

"Why can't she just stay here with Bobby?" asked Sam. "He's got this place on lockdown, not to mention the panic room in the basement…it's like Fort Knox against demons here. I can't think of a better place."

John thought about it for a moment. "I don't know…It's too much in the thick of things. Bobby isn't always here. I don't trust leaving her alone."

"What about Pamela?" asked Sam, "Maybe she'd agree to come out…in the meantime she can help train Laney on how to use...control...her gifts."

"That's not entirely a bad idea," said John. "Give her a call...see when she can be here… if she'll even do it. I don't know how long it's going to take to get the demon's trail again."

"Hello people, what about what Laney thinks in all this? Does she get any kind of say?" asked Dean. He'd made a promise to his sister that he had every intention of keeping. They weren't exactly sending her away, but they were leaving her behind. In her mind, it was going to be the exact same thing.

"What your sister wants is irrelevant. I won't lose her. I won't lose any of my children. So if she hates me for this, it's okay…at least she'll be alive."

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Laney stood at the top of the stairs out of anyone's line of sight, listening to the conversation in her absence. When all was said and done they were just going to dump her again. No one wanted to say the words, but she knew that she Dean would do everything to keep his word. He didn't break his promises, but she wondered how fair that was. He had enough on his plate and Sammy would follow whatever Dean did but it wasn't fair to him. _What about me?_ Laney thought. Her father had known her big secret all along and sent her away. Why? Because he couldn't stand to look at her; he couldn't stand to see the reason his wife was dead. Laney's life had brought her mother's death. What a shitty trade off.

She walked into her room to grab her laptop. She realized she was going to have to go back downstairs because she needed all the info her father had on yellow-eyes in order to build her program. She dreaded it; she didn't want to face them. She was surprised to see that only Sam was still in the living room.

"Where did everyone go?" she asked her brother, breaking into his thoughts. He looked very far away.

"Huh? Oh, hey…uh…Dad and Bobby are down in the basement working, Dean had to make a phone call."

"I need all Dad's stuff on yellow-eyes for this program."

"Oh, yeah, he left it all on the table there. I looked through it for a minute…good luck making heads or tails of it."

Laney snorted, "Kind of my thing."

"I guess so."

Laney grabbed the folders and journal, absentmindedly flipping through the papers, but not really paying attention to what she was looking at.

"Sammy-" Laney broke off mid-thought, she had no idea what to say.

"You know everyone is right, it's not your fault."

"Yeah."

"But I know that no matter how much we say that, you're going to feel it."

"Speaking from your own experience?"

"I walked around for a long time blaming myself for what happened to Jessica. But there wasn't anything I could have done."

"I guess all this just makes me think about how different your lives would have been if I hadn't been born."

"Don't talk like that Laney."

"Well, it does. If I hadn't been born, yellow-eyes never would have been in my nursery that night. Mom would still be alive. Dad would be a mechanic… you and Dean would have had normal lives, normal childhoods…you'd be at law school…Jess would be alive."

"I'd probably still have these premonitions. Yellow-eyes would still have come for me eventually."

"Yeah, maybe… but look at all the years you would have had before that."

"Baby, seriously you can't think like that."

"If you had the choice right now; if you could have Mom back, but I would have never lived…what would you choose? What do you think Dad would choose? Or Dean?"

Sam growled in frustration. "How could you ask me that?"

"I think it's a valid question."

"No, it's a crap question. We can't change a thing that happened. It's not fair."

"Not fair because you know you all would choose Mom!"

"Laney, what the hell has gotten into you!" shouted Dean; he'd been standing in the doorway just within earshot, listening to most of their conversation.

"Oh, wait, here's Dean, let's ask him," said Laney, sarcastically.

"I heard the question little sister and it's a screwed up question. Do either of us really have to prove how much we love you? How much we care about you? It's not a freaking fair thing to ask!"

"You didn't have a choice Dean! You didn't have a choice…this life was forced upon you all because I'm some kind of pawn in a psycho's game. It's black and white, if I never lived, Mom would be alive, end of story. You'd all be happy. Dad would be happy!"

Dean stomped up to his sister and put his hands on her shoulders shaking her. "Stop it! Just stop!"

Laney looked her brother in the eye; a world of pain and anguish in her eyes.

"I'm releasing you from your promise, Dean. I don't care where you send me or what you decide to do with me. Do what you have to do. It was never fair of me to make you make that promise." Laney turned to face Sam, "Either of you. It's not fair of me to deny you your vengeance. You deserve it; for Jessica and for Mom. You both need to be there with Dad. If he goes off by himself he might end up getting killed, and then I really couldn't live with myself."

Dean didn't know how to respond. On one hand he did feel a sense of relief. On the other hand, this was still his baby sister. The one he'd raised practically since birth. Now that they were so close to getting yellow-eyes, he was afraid. He was afraid of losing any of his family. They were his reason for living; the only thing he had going for him in the world.

"All of us, Laney," said Dean, gruffly, "Dad, me, Sam, Bobby…we want the same thing…to keep you safe. I know this is a whole lot of crap coming down on you…on all of us…but that's the bottom line…keeping you and Sam safe… I'm not letting anybody die here, you got me?"

"I got you," said Laney, sadly.

She knew her brother meant it. But as awesome of a hunter as he was, he was human, and he had his limitations. Bottom line: Sammy had premonitions in regard to the other special children. Pamela had told her that she was powerful beyond measure. Yellow-eyes wanted her dead because she was in the way. Killing yellow-eyes was probably the only way any of them would find peace. She was going to do her part to make that happen.

With a heavy sigh Laney gathered up all her father's research. "I've got a lot of work to do. I'm going upstairs."

"Laney-"

"It's okay Sam. I'm sure Dad wants me on this right now." She walked away without a backward glance.

Dean looked over at his brother, "Well, I don't know about you, but I need a drink."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

After about four hours of Laney being locked up in her room, without a sign of life, Dean decided enough was enough. His sister was hurting and he wanted to fix it.

"Laney, open up," said Dean through the closed the door. His knocks were met with silence. "Seriously, don't make me kick in this door. You know I'll do it."

After another 30 seconds of silence the door swung open. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but everything looked pretty normal. Laney sat back down on the bed with her laptop open, working away, not paying much attention to his entrance.

"Hey, kiddo, haven't seen you in awhile, just checking in."

"Been busy."

"I see that," he said, looking around at the room. There were maps and books spread out all over the floor. "Any progress?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually. Dad's done a pretty awesome job with this. It's impressive…amazing actually," she admitted grudgingly.

"You think you'll have it done soon?"

"Almost finished…didn't take anywhere near as long as I thought. It's processing all the data."

"Cool."

Dean stared at the wall. Laney felt uncomfortable which was unusual for her. Dean was the one person she usually felt most comfortable with. Truth was; she was embarrassed about her earlier behavior. She'd put her brothers in an unfair position with her stupid questions about who they would have chosen to live. What a moron she had been. It had been immature and stupid. She knew that. She knew it when the words were coming out of her mouth. Yet she hadn't been able to stop herself.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, looking at her brother.

He gave her a questioning look.

"For all the things I said…you know?"

"It's okay. You were upset."

"It's not okay. It was mean and unfair."

"Don't beat yourself up about it."

"I'm just confused you know," she said, putting her laptop to rest next to her.

"About what?" asked Dean, softly.

"I'm really angry about what's happened. I'm angry that Dad didn't tell us the truth about what he knew and I'm angry that I have to stay behind and I can't be with you guys."

"What's confusing about that? Seems pretty straightforward to me."

"I'm confused because I feel guilty about being angry even though I think I have the right to be angry. I'm confused because I understand why you want me to stay behind, but I'm still mad at all of you about it."

"I understand exactly what you mean. None of this is easy. Sam wants yellow-eyes badly for what he did to Jess and I get it. He deserves to get his revenge. But everything in my bones doesn't want him to do it, because I think he'll do anything to kill him and I'm afraid he'll get hurt or worse."

Laney considered that. Her brother was just as torn as she was. The problem was that the situation wasn't black and white. It was filled with gray areas. Everyone couldn't get everything they wanted without someone getting the short end of the stick. Laney really hated gray areas. She liked binary life, ones and zeros. Black and white. Right and wrong.

"I'm really scared. You guys are going to be out there going up against this thing- the most dangerous thing we've ever faced and I can't be there. I'm afraid of something happening to all of you and me being left alone."

Dean scooted over next to his sister and put an arm around her. "I know you are and you know what sucks?"

"What?"

"That I can't promise you that we'll be okay. I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better…but I'm at a loss. You know I'm going to do everything I can right?"

"Of course." She smiled brightly at her brother. "And you know what's really scary?"

"What?"

"That _you_ are going to be the most level-headed one of the bunch out there," she smirked.

Dean laughed. "You're right, that is scary."

"Don't let them do anything stupid."

"I won't."

Laney allowed herself to lean into her brother's embrace for a minute when a ping came from her computer. She pulled away.

"What is it?" asked Dean.

"Got something," said Laney, studying the computer screen.

"What?"

She looked up to meet Dean's eyes straight on. "We'd better get Dad."

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"So, using all the data you gave me I set up a program to track trends and patterns in yellow-eyes movements and…the program brought up the best possibility for where the demon is headed, based on recent electrical storm activity, cattle mutilations-"

"Where?" asked John, interrupting his daughter.

Laney looked up from her computer to her father. "Uh…Salvation, Iowa."

John studied the map closely. "Are you sure?"

"Well, no."

John looked sharply at his daughter. "It's a best guess, Dad. There is no way to be absolutely sure. But I honestly think it's the best shot."

"What's our next move?" asked Sam, eagerly. He was tired of sitting around.

 _Don't be so eager to get yourself killed,_ thought Laney.

"We're going to Salvation."

Sam practically clapped his hands together.

"Delaney, show Sam how your program works in case we need to access it on the road."

"Okay," said Laney slowly.

"Dad, what about Laney?" asked Dean.

John rubbed his tired hands through his hair. "No luck with Pamela?" he asked.

Dean nodded his head. "We've tried getting in touch with her. No answer…left a bunch of messages."

"Why can't I just come with you guys? We don't know that the demon is there for sure…I'll stay out of the way."

"Not a chance," said John without hesitation.

Laney bit her lip. _It was worth a shot._

Sam gave her a sympathetic look. "So what do we do?"

John paced the room for a few moments. "I'll be back," he said, walking out of the room.

Dean walked up to his sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be okay kiddo."

"Right," she snorted. She squeezed her brother's hand to let him know she appreciated his comfort even if she didn't sound very comforted.

"So you'd better show me how this works," said Sam, approaching his sister.

"You know, you're a little too giddy for my tastes," said Laney, giving her brother a dirty look.

"Baby, this is the first real lead we have on yellow-eyes. We're so close to getting this bastard and ending all of this for good…you should be a little more excited."

Laney stalked over to her brother and slammed the laptop closed. "Yes, I am so excited that my whole family is going to be running off to catch this thing…putting themselves in harm's way, and not seeming to care if they come out in one piece! I'm absolutely thrilled," she shouted sarcastically.

Sam gave his brother an incredulous look. But Dean decided to stay out of it. Whatever his sister had to say probably pretty closely mirrored his own sentiments. _Sorry buddy, you're on your own._

"I don't get it! This thing killed Mom and Jess, I thought you wanted it dead just as much as we do!"

"I do! I do Sammy, I want it gone, I want it out of our lives. I want you to have everything you want. I want your visions to go away, I want it to leave me alone. But I want you to stay alive more! I don't want you or Dad or Dean to die! You and Dad are so eager to kill this thing and get your payback, that you're not thinking about the bigger picture."

Sam threw his hands up in frustration. "Dean, aren't you going to help me out here? You want this thing dead as bad as I do."

"I do. I want this evil son of a bitch dead, but at what price? Losing you or Dad? It's not worth it to me."

Sam pursed his lips.

"Guys, I'm not on some suicide mission. I don't plan on getting killed," said Sam.

"You could have fooled me," said Laney.

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

"My psychic gifts, dummy. What you are feeling is so strong, that I can't help but pick up on it. I feel it Sammy. I feel your anger and rage and pain so strongly that I can't believe it's even coming from you. I can tell that you are willing to do just about anything to kill yellow-eyes and it scares me."

"I'm sorry," said Sam, wholeheartedly. "I really am. The last thing I want is for you to be any more freaked out than you are."

Sam opened his arms wide, gesturing for a hug. Laney walked right into his arms and squeezed him tightly. "I just don't want you to get killed, stupid."

Sam chuckled. "I'm not planning on it."

"Good, then don't be a hero okay?" she asked.

Sam had to choke back the lump in his throat. She sounded more like she was seven than seventeen.

"Don't worry so much about me. I plan to live a very long life, if for nothing else than to drive Dean crazy."

Laney giggled and squeezed her brother tighter.

"Okay, so can we wrap up this little afterschool special then?" smirked Dean.

"Shut up," said Laney.

Just then they heard footsteps approaching from the hall.

"Okay, guys, load up. We're out of here in an hour," said John.

"And me?" asked Laney.

"You're staying here. I couldn't get a hold of Pamela, but Bobby is going to stay here with you."

"No, Dad, he can't do that. You guys need all the backup you can get. I can stay here alone. This place is practically a fortress. I'll stay inside. I won't break the salt lines. I'll camp out in the panic room. You guys are only going to be a few hours away," Laney pleaded.

It wasn't that she was interested in putting another person she loved and cared about in the line of fire. It was that she wanted Bobby to have their backs. Sitting around and babysitting her was a waste of valuable resources.

John studied his daughter's face closely. The sorrow he felt at having not been a better father to her was deep. His Mary would be so pissed at him. Which was why he had to get yellow-eyes. He had to. Then hopefully he could salvage the rest of Delaney's childhood and make up for all the years he'd been distant and aloof.

"Okay," said John.

Dean and Sam both raised their eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" asked Dean, Sam and Laney, simultaneously.

"She can do it. This place is locked down. You don't step a foot out of this door," he said, pointing a finger at Laney. "There are plenty of supplies here. We'll get Pamela here as soon as we can. In the meantime, we keep in constant contact. Your brothers will call you every few hours and if you fail to answer the phone once I'll send Bobby back."

Laney had to practically keep herself from bouncing up and down. "I can do this. I swear," she said seriously.

"Dad, are you sure?" asked Dean, "We're going to leave her alone."

"Do you have any better ideas son?"

Dean couldn't think of any. He'd rather have her at Bobby's alone, than with them in the middle of the most dangerous hunt they'd ever been on.

Dean nodded his head no.

"Alright, saddle up then."

"Yes sir," said Sam and Dean.

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While Sam loaded up the Impala and packed up all of his and his brother's belongings, Dean went throughout the house making sure it was sealed tighter than a drum. Protective hex bags were placed all over. Salt lines were poured at all the windows and doors. He instructed his sister to stick close to the panic room.

Laney assured him that she had plenty to keep her occupied in their absence. He gave her several scenarios to test her mettle. She answered everything satisfactorily. He went over the weapons and how to use them, which she already knew inside and out. She humored her brother anyway. This was all about his peace of mind more than hers.

When he was done, he went over it one more time just to be sure.

"Okay, Dean. Dad's ready, time to hit the road," said Sam.

"Yeah, okay."

Bobby who had never been good at goodbyes waved at Laney from the front seat of his car. She blew him a kiss and waved.

John stood awkwardly at the bottom of the porch stairs.

"Well, short round, we'll talk in a few hours," sighed Dean, reluctant to leave. "You can call me anytime though…either of us."

"I will," nodded Laney. She launched herself into her brother's arms and squeezed. "Please be careful," she whispered in his ear.

"You got it, kid," he said, squeezing her tight. He kissed her on the temple and stood back.

She looked at Sam. "Hey Sasquatch, don't do anything reckless," she said, pulling him into an embrace. He kissed her forehead and mussed her hair.

"You be careful, okay. If you know…you get any weird psychic stuff, don't wait to tell us."

"I promise," she said.

Laney walked down the stairs to her father. He gave her a quick overview of all his instructions before finally hugging her goodbye. "Be careful, Dad."

He nodded at her before he climbed into his truck. Sam and Dean opened the Impala doors.

"Hey, guys?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I love you both."

"Love you too," they answered in unison.

Dean waited for his sister to get inside the house and lock up. She gave them thumbs up from the living room window to indicate all was well. She watched the three vehicles file away through the salvage yard to the main road. She waited until they were out of sight before she pulled away from the window, threw herself face first into the couch and let loose all the tears she'd been holding back.

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"I still don't feel good about this," said Dean, for the millionth time. He glanced in the rearview mirror and shifted nervously in the driver's seat. He'd been fighting the urge to turn right around and collect his sister.

"If Dad thinks it's okay, then I'm sure it's fine," Sam reassured. "She'll be okay."

"Yeah I don't know. I think Dad is so desperate to get this thing that he's not thinking clearly."

"Dean, Dad wouldn't risk her life…as much shit as I've given him over the years, even I don't believe that."

Dean considered what his brother was saying. Sam was the one usually butting heads with their father. This time he'd practically saluted the man in agreement. Dean nodded his head in annoyance. Sam wasn't thinking clearly either.

"What's going on? Dad's pulling over," said Sam, interrupting his brother's thoughts.

"I don't know." Dean pulled the car off the road behind his father. Bobby kept going.

From the look on his father's face Dean could tell that something bad had happened. His father looked shaken.

Dean jumped out of the car, his heart beating wildly in his chest, "What is it Dad? Is it Laney?"

"No, no," said John quickly.

"Then what's wrong?" asked Sam, picking up on his father's distress.

"Jim Murphy," he said.

"Pastor Jim? What about him?" asked Dean.

"He's dead."

Sam and Dean both sucked in a breath. "How?" asked Sam.

"He was found with his throat slit. He bled out."

Dean stepped towards his father. He looked devastated. Pastor Jim had been a good friend and sometimes hunter. He and his wife had also been somewhat of a surrogate family for the boys and their sister, especially when Laney had been a baby. He was a good man.

"Who?" asked Dean.

"A hunter friend of mine found him, said he found traces of sulfur all over the place."

"A demon? _The_ Demon?" asked Dean.

"I don't know."

"I can't believe it."

"Where did Bobby go?" asked Sam.

"He's heading out to Minnesota…see what he can dig up."

"What about us? Should we head out that way too?" asked Dean.

"No, we keep going to Iowa. We've gotta get this son of a bitch. If it's yellow-eyes, this is our best chance to stop him. This ends. I'm ending it."

"Okay, Dad," said Dean, worry in his voice.

"Let's get out of here," said John.

"Yeah, okay," said Dean.

"Oh, hey Dean?"

"Yes sir?"

"Don't tell your sister…not yet anyway, okay?"

Dean nodded at his father, "Okay."

Sam and Dean got in the Impala and pulled back on the highway behind their father's truck. Before either one could discuss what had just happened, Dean's watch alarm beeped.

"Time to call Laney," he said, looking at Sam.

"I'll do it," said Sam, hitting the speed dial.

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Laney fell into a deep sleep after she'd cried herself out. She'd at least kept enough wits about her to go down to the panic room to nap. Truth was, without her brothers around she'd lost all her bravado. If she was being honest with herself, she was scared shitless.

She was awakened by an annoying vibration coming from underneath her head. She was groggy and momentarily confused about her whereabouts. She felt around for the vibration. It was her cell phone.

"Hello?"

 _"_ _Hey munchkin, what took you so long to answer the phone?"_

"Sammy! Sorry, I was napping," she answered with a yawn.

 _He chuckled at her. "Surprised you were able to sleep."_

"Yeah, well don't get too excited. I'm down in the panic room."

Sam laughed again, but it sounded off to her.

"Everything all right Sammy?"

 _"_ _Yeah," he answered, "We're good. Uh…but…uh, Bobby got called off to go help a hunter over in Minnesota, so he's not with us anymore."_

"Are you sure everything is okay?" she asked again. For Bobby to leave such an important hunt, something big had to have gone down.

 _"_ _I'm sure," he answered firmly._

"Okay…let me talk to the blockhead."

Sam chuckled again. She heard the shuffling off the phone being handed off.

 _"_ _Hey, shrimp. Staying out of trouble?"_

"Yup…I miss you guys already though."

 _"_ _Yeah, we miss you too."_

"Be careful; try not to worry about me."

 _"_ _Okay, we'll call you again in a couple of hours."_

"I love you."

 _"_ _Back at you kiddo."_

Dean hung up the line. Laney was sure something was wrong and they weren't sharing. She thought of pressing harder for info or doing a little computer work to see what she could find, if anything. But then decided that if they didn't want her to know whatever it was, then it probably was something that was just going to worry her further. So for her own peace of mind, for once, she was going to leave it alone.

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After a couple more hours of driving, the Winchester men pulled off the highway to fill up on gas and use the facilities. They were an hour or so outside of Salvation, Iowa and eager to get there.

"I'm calling the baby," said Sam.

"Good," said John, as he filled up his truck with gas.

Sam leaned against the Impala that was at the pump just in front of their father. Dean had gone into to grab them all some coffee.

John watched his son dial the phone and listened in.

"Hey just checking in," said Sam, with a smile. He was relieved to hear his sister's voice on the other end of the line. "What are you up to?"

 _"_ _Been reading the same five pages of this book over and over for the last three hours."_

"Listen, I know it's hard, but try to relax."

 _"_ _I hate this Sammy."_

"I know."

 _"_ _I'm going stir crazy here."_

"Try and find something to keep your mind occupied," said Sam.

 _"_ _I'm trying, it's not working."_

Sam sighed heavily. "I wish I knew what to tell you."

 _"_ _Let me talk to Dean-O."_

"We stopped for gas. He's getting coffee."

 _Laney sighed. "Okay then. Well I'll let you go."_

"Laney," started Sam, not sure what to say. "I'll have him call you back in a little bit. We're close to Salvation. We'll call you when we check-in to the motel, okay?"

 _"_ _Yeah, fine," she said._

Sam couldn't see her face, but he was pretty sure she was pouting right about now.

"Love you munchkin."

 _"_ _Yeah me too…give Dean a kiss for me."_

"Haha."

 _"_ _Bye."_

"Bye."

Sam hung up the phone and looked at his father who had been watching and listening.

"She's good," said Sam.

John nodded at his son.

"I'm going to hit the bathroom before we get back on the road," said Sam. He glanced back at his father once more. If he didn't know any better, by his father's hurt expression, it looked like he might be upset that Laney hadn't asked to speak to him. _Wonders never cease._

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They pulled into a motel in central Salvation. They were barely in their room before John pulled out his files and got right to work.

"So, what do we look for now that we're here?" asked Sam, just as eager to get started.

"Well, I know from my research that these children that yellow-eyes visited, it seems he visited them all on their six-month birthdays. There were fires. Houses burned to the ground."

"So, we should find out what babies have been born in the last six months. See who is coming up on their six month birthdays," said Sam.

"That's what I was thinking," John agreed. "There are two hospitals and a health clinic in the area. I want you guys to check all the records of any infants that are going to be six months old this week..."

"How many babies are born in a day?" asked Dean. "That could be a lot of babies to cover."

"We'll check them all," said John.

 _Okay, that will be easy._ Dean thought sarcastically.

"We'll split up," said John.

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Dean drove his brother to Salvation Medical Center and dropped him off before heading to his assigned hospital on the other side of the county.

He dialed his sister. He needed to hear her voice.

 _"_ _Hello."_

"Hey kid, whatcha up to?"

 _"_ _Hey Dean…uh, not much."_

"Why don't I believe you?"

 _"_ _Whatever do you mean?"_

"Ha! I can't tell you're up to something. So what is it?"

 _"_ _A little of this, a little of that. Where's Sammy?"_

"He's doing some research. Don't change the subject."

 _"_ _Okay, okay…I'm uh…well, I am now licensed to drive in about 22 states, currently working on number 23."_

Dean slapped the steering wheel in laughter. "Okay, why would you do that?"

 _"_ _Well, I'm 17 now and I'm old enough. I thought it wouldn't hurt to get some ID's for the future."_

"But you don't even have a car and I do all the driving anyway."

 _"_ _Hey, I know how to drive perfectly well."_

"I don't think we should talk about how well you drive. Let's not forget what you did to my car last year."

" _No, please let's forget."_

"I'm getting sick just thinking about it."

" _Okay, big brother, let's not go there. Anyway, all these ID's make me 21. So, that could come in handy."_

"Like you'd ever pass for 21. Anyway, you don't think you could find something to do that's a little more legal to pass the time?"

 _"_ _It's not as much fun. And since when do you care about legalities?"_

"Good point," admitted Dean. "I still don't see why you need a driver's license. I drive you everywhere you need to go."

 _"_ _Well…I was looking through Bobby's inventory here at the salvage yard and I found an old 1965 Mustang that's in pretty decent shape. Needs some engine and body work, but it would make a sweet ride. I thought maybe I could convince Dad to let me have it. I don't need to rely on you to drive me around the rest of my life."_

"Ha! Good luck with that."

 _"_ _I'll think of something."_

There were a few moments of dead air where neither one of them spoke. They were having such a normal conversation that it was easy to forget the circumstances they were all in.

 _"_ _So, anyway, is there any research I can help you with?"_

"Nope, we got it covered. Checking out the local hospitals for any infants born six months ago this week."

 _"_ _That would be so much easier if they didn't still use such an archaic system for record keeping."_

"Well, not everyone can be as technologically advanced as you are little sister."

 _"_ _Meh. Anyway, keep me in the loop please."_

"Will do."

 _"_ _I know you're getting tired of hearing it, but please be careful."_

"No worries. I'll call you soon."

 _"_ _Okay. Love you."_

"Love you too."

Dean hung up the phone. He was eager to get this case over with, get the demon and get back to his sister.

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A couple of hours of research and Sam had found several matches for his search criteria. He'd written down all of the information. He headed out with his map in hand to start checking out whatever families he could find. He was standing outside the main hospital entrance when he felt an all too familiar burning sensation. _Aw crap, vision._

Sam's vision blurred and he found himself assaulted with visions of a mother and infant. He could hear the sound of a train's whistle blowing in the background. Lights were flashing, he got a clear image of the mother. He saw the windows of the home.

Once the pain faded, he grabbed his map, found the railroad tracks and began following them. Again he was hit by images of the mother and then he found himself face to face with the house in his vision. When he looked across the street he was startled to see the mother from his vision. She was pushing a baby in a stroller.

Sam ran across the street to greet the woman. She was juggling an umbrella and a shopping bag.

"Here let me help you with that," said Sam.

"Oh, gosh, thanks," said the woman. She was in her late 20's, dark hair and eyes.

"Hi, I'm Sam, by the way," he said, giving her a hand. "I just moved into the neighborhood."

"Oh hi, I'm Monica."

"Hi Monica…and who is this little one here?"

"This is Rosie."

"Hi, Rosie," said Sam, smiling at the infant.

"She's beautiful. How old is she?"

"Six months old today, actually and growing like a weed."

"Six months old, huh?"

"Yup."

Sam's eyebrows raised. Could this be yellow-eyes next victim?

Just then a car drove by and pulled into the driveway of the home.

"Well, thanks, Sam. That's my husband."

"Okay, take care."

Sam walked away back across the street watching the happy family from a distance. His head ached again, and he was hit with another vision. This time, he saw yellow-eyes.

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Laney ignored Dean's advice and continued to license herself, as a 21 year old of course, in the remaining states. She knew they'd come in handy eventually no matter what her brother said. In the meantime, she was trying to concoct some kind of plan to convince her father to let her get her own car. It wasn't like it would be drivable in the near future. That kind of project would take a year or two or more. She'd probably be 19 before it was done, and by then her father wouldn't have a say either way.

She was daydreaming about possible colors when she experienced what felt like a 2 by 4 to the head. She doubled over. _Oh God, not now. Not while I'm alone._

Laney lost all sense of self and found herself in a vision. She knew immediately it wasn't her own. She was inside of Sammy's head, seeing the vision through his eyes. Somehow even with hundreds of miles between them, she was picking up on his distress. She saw a woman and a baby in a nursery. Then she saw him; yellow eyes. The woman was pinned to the ceiling bleeding and on fire. Just like what had happened to her mother. She was seeing the demon's next victims.

When Laney next came to reality she was on the floor, sweating and shaking. She staggered to her feet with a new found respect and appreciation for what her brother had been experiencing for the last year. It was no walk in the park.

She fumbled for her phone, dialing with shaky fingers. The phone rang multiple times with no answer. Sam's voicemail picked up. She hung up without leaving a message and dialed Dean. He picked up on the first ring.

 _"_ _Dad's never going to let you have a car," he said, jokingly._

"Dean," she breathed out, her voice shaking.

" _Laney, what's wrong?"_

"It's Sammy. He had a vision…where is he?"

 _"_ _I don't know. How do you know he had a vision?"_

"I saw it…I felt it."

" _Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine. I'm okay."

" _What did you see?"_

"Yellow-eyes next victims."

Laney's phone beeped. It was Sammy calling back on the other line.

"Dean, its Sam on the other line."

 _"_ _Put him on three way."_

Laney clicked the phone over and answered Sam's call, putting it on three way.

"Sam, I've got Dean on the line too. Are you okay?"

 _"_ _Yeah, I'm fine."_

 _"_ _Don't lie Sammy. Where are you?" asked Dean._

 _"_ _Downtown Salvation. What are you talking about?"_

"I saw your vision Sam. The one with yellow-eyes…I saw everything, I felt it. So I know you're not okay, because I feel like shit."

 _"_ _You saw it? You felt it?"_

"I sure as hell did."

 _"_ _How in the hell?"_

"Some kind of link I guess. Pamela said it was possible."

Laney heard Dean let out a stream of curses. Yeah, she felt about the same way too.

 _"_ _Sammy, I'm on my way back, I'll pick you up."_

 _"_ _Don't worry about it Dean, I'll be back at the motel in a few minutes."_

 _"_ _Alright, I'll see you there. I'm calling Dad."_

 _"_ _Yeah, okay."_

Sam hung up the phone before Laney could say anything else. She got it. Not really in the mood to talk.

 _"_ _You still there Laney?"_

"Yeah. I'm freaking out though."

 _"_ _It'll be okay."_

"How's it going to be okay? You guys are going to be facing yellow-eyes tonight. How in the hell is anything going to be okay?"

Laney felt panic rising up in her and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

 _"_ _Calm down, kid. Nothing is happening right this second okay? I'm hauling ass back to motel now. I've got to call Dad and I'll give you a call in a little bit."_

"Okay, okay."

 _"_ _Are you sure you're going to be okay?"_

"I'll be fine…don't worry about me…just get to Sam."

 _"_ _I'll be there in a few."_

"Okay, talk to you soon."

 _"_ _Bye."_

Laney flipped her phone shut and sat down on the chair. Her legs were weak and she felt overwhelmed with fatigue. She remembered how much the visions took out of her brother and realized she was getting an up close and personal view of his experience. She moved over to the couch and laid down. After what Pamela had told her, it wasn't a big surprise that she was linked with her brother in this way. Even putting up barriers in her mind couldn't block that connection. That fact didn't necessarily bother her. There was a certain comfort in knowing she was connected to her brother in such a way. She liked to think it meant she would know if he were ever in serious trouble.

She was drifting off when her phone rang again. She fumbled for her phone in the dark.

"Dean?"

 _"_ _No, it's Bobby."_

"Bobby? What's going on? Where are you?"

 _"_ _I've just pulled up outside. I need your help. I'm injured and I don't think I can make it inside without your help."_

"You're hurt? What happened?" Laney got up to her feet so quickly she had to grab onto a chair to stay upright. She rushed for the door.

" _I'll tell you all about it, just give me a hand."_

"Okay, okay. I'm coming."

Laney stepped out of the front door just in time to realize that she was making a cardinal mistake. She had violated her father's number one rule. _Never under any circumstances, step one foot outside the door._

A sudden pain exploded in her head, and then she fell into darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

By the time Dean arrived back at the motel, his father and brother were already there. Sam was lying on one of the beds, looking pale and drawn. His father was sitting at the table studying the Colt.

"Dad, Sam, everything okay?"

Sam sat up slowly. "Yeah, I'm good."

Dean exchanged a look with his father.

"Laney okay?" asked Sam.

"She's said she's fine. She's probably sleeping it off."

"I still can't get over the fact she shared the vision with you," said John.

"Pamela said it might happen," said Sam.

"What do we do now?" asked Dean. He didn't feel like getting into the whole shit storm that was shared visions and psychic mojo and freaky E.S.P and what not. They had too much other crap to worry about.

"Well Sam said this is going to happen tonight…we've got a few hours until sundown, so you guys should rest up as much as you can."

Dean looked at his father. He knew he was saying it for Sam's benefit. Sam needed the rest from the vision to get back up to full strength.

Sam laid back down on the bed. "Sounds good to me."

Dean sat down at the table across from his father and ran his hands through his hair. The next few hours until dark were going to be torture.

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When Laney came into consciousness, she knew without opening her eyes, she was tied to a chair. She could also tell without having to reach up and touch her head that there was a sizable lump at the back of her head. Something had hit her, and hard. She immediately felt stupid for letting herself get caught. She never should have stepped outside. Whoever had called her on her phone had not been Bobby.

"Wakey wakey Delaney."

Laney opened her eyes to see a young woman, not that much older than her standing in front of her. She had short blonde hair and light eyes. She certainly didn't look as menacing as she sounded.

"Who are you?" asked Laney, her voice cracking.

"Let's just say I'm a friend of your brothers."

Her eyes rolled back in her head and when she blinked they turned black.

"Demon," whispered Laney.

"Yes, but you can call me Meg."

 _Meg._ Her brothers had told her all about the bitch. She'd tried to set a trap for their father and they'd managed to escape.

"I thought they tossed you out of a seven story building."

"They did, but they never bothered to follow up and check if I was actually dead," she clucked her tongue. "Shame on them, that's just sloppy work. I expect better of the Winchester boys."

"What do you want with me?"

"Don't worry too much. You're just a means to an end."

"What are you talking about?"

Meg knelt down in front of her. She'd returned her eyes to normal.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

Laney struggled against the bindings on her wrist.

"Don't wear yourself out kid. It's not going to work."

Laney ceased her movements. The demon bitch was right. She needed to save her strength in case a chance to escape appeared.

"Now, you behave. I have a little phone call to make."

Meg gave her an evil smirk and opened up her cell phone. "This is going to be so much fun."

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The Winchester men were sitting around the table eating. Sam had only managed a little over an hour of sleep. He was too nervous to sleep much more than that. They still had a couple of hours until dark. The waiting was harder than he could have imagined.

Sam's phone rang. He answered it, figuring it was his sister.

"Laney?"

 _"_ _Nope."_

"Who is this?" asked Sam.

" _Think real hard, it'll come to you."_

Laney looked up at Meg with murder in her eyes. The demon bitch had gagged her, so she couldn't call out to her brother.

Sam thought for a moment. _No way._ "Meg?"

Dean and John both stood up from the table. Dean glanced out the window to look for signs of trouble.

"Last time I saw you, you had taken a dive out of a window."

" _Yeah, you know, you really hurt my feelings, too."_

"Hurt your feelings? That was a seven story drop."

 _"_ _Whatever, Sam, you're boring me. Let me speak to your Dad."_

Sam looked up at his father. "My Dad? I don't know where my Dad is."

 _"_ _It's time to let the grown-ups talk Sam. Let me speak to him now."_

Laney's breath hitched. What did she want with her father?

Sam looked up at his father again. John gestured for him to hand over the phone.

"This is John."

 _"_ _Hi John. I'm Meg. I'm a friend of your boys. I'm also the one who watched Jim Murphy choke on his own blood."_

Laney choked back a sob. _What? Pastor Jim is dead? This must have been what my brothers were keeping from me._ Tears escaped from her eyes. She knew how her father must be feeling. They had been close friends.

John took a deep breath in silent anger.

 _"_ _Still there John?"_

"I'm here."

 _"_ _Well, that was yesterday. Today, I'm in Lincoln and I just hooked up with someone you're probably pretty well acquainted with. She wants to say hi."_

Meg ripped that gag from Laney's mouth and put the phone up to her mouth. _"Daddy?"_

"Delaney!" John yelled into the phone.

Dean and Sam both stood up straight at attention. Dean grabbed one of the guns off the table out of reflex. It wasn't like he could do anything for her right then. _How in the hell did that bitch get their sister? How the Hell was she even alive?_

Dean walked up next to his father, his heart beating so loudly in his ears that he could barely hear.

"Delaney?" John asked again.

Meg put her fingers up to her mouth gesturing Laney to stay quiet.

"You listen to me; my daughter has nothing to do with this. You let her go."

 _"_ _Give me a break. We know you have the Colt, John."_

"I don't know what you're talking about."

" _Oh, okay. So listen to this."_ Meg walked up to Laney, a knife with a short, fat blade in her hands, without a moment's hesitation she dragged the blade across her chest. Laney tried to choke back her cries of pain, but it was too much. She cried out.

"Delaney!" yelled John. "Leave her alone!"

Dean's hands were clenched tightly in rage. He could hear his sister's scream through the phone. Never in his life had he felt such rage and utter helplessness as he did at that moment. Sam's eyes were wide with fear.

 _"_ _So, let's try this again, John. We know you have the gun. Word travels fast. You've just declared war, and this is what war looks like. It has casualties."_

Laney whimpered quietly, not wanting to give the demon bitch the satisfaction. She felt the blood dripping down her chest. The wound wasn't life threatening, shallow, but it was definitely going to leave a mark, and it burned like hell. She couldn't believe this was all over that freaking Colt.

"I'm going to kill you, you know that."

 _"_ _Oh John please. Mind your blood pressure. So this is the thing. We'll keep doing what we're doing. Killing all of your friends and sending your sweet little daughter into the great blue yonder. Anyone who's ever helped you, given you shelter, anyone you've ever loved, they'll all die unless you give us that gun."_

John looked at his sons; the terror in their eyes mirroring his own.

 _"_ _Tick, tock John…you're running out of time."_

"Okay," he said, gruffly.

" _Sorry? I didn't quite get that."_

Laney looked up at Meg wondering what her father was saying.

"I said, okay… I'll bring you the gun."

Sam and Dean both looked astonished. How did she know about the Colt?

 _"_ _There's a warehouse in Lincoln. Corner of Wabash and Lake, you're gonna meet me there, tonight."_

Laney's eyes went wide. They were going to bring her father right into a trap. There was no way, Colt or not, that they were going to let either of them go.

" _Don't do it Dad!"_

John could hear his daughter yelling out. The pain he felt was like a knife in the heart.

Meg reached over and smacked Laney in the face. Laney managed to not give her the satisfaction of a response.

Meg glared at her before speaking into the phone. _"_ _You have until midnight."_

"That's not enough time."

 _"_ _Well than I guess your precious little girl dies. You have until midnight. Come alone."_

The line went dead.

John shut his phone and looked at his sons.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?" demanded Dean.

"She has your sister and she wants to trade the Colt for her."

"But how? What the Hell is she?" asked Sam.

"She's might be one of yellow-eyes minions. It doesn't really matter," said John.

"What do we do?" asked Dean, ready for a fight.

"I'm going to Lincoln."

"What?"

"We don't have a choice here. If I don't go she's going to kill your sister."

"What about yellow-eyes?" asked Sam, "He's coming tonight, that gun is all we've got. We can't just hand it over."

"Listen, I don't have any plans to give up that gun to them."

"So, just what are you planning to do?" asked Dean, with barely restrained fury. This was his sister they were talking about. Screw yellow-eyes.

"Outside of a couple of vampires and us, nobody has ever seen that gun. Nobody knows what it looks like."

"So what, are you just going to pick up a ringer at a pawn shop?" asked Dean, incredulously.

"Antique store," said John, matter of fact.

"You're going to hand Meg a fake gun and hope she doesn't notice."

"Look, as long as it's close, she won't even know."

"Yeah, but for how long? What happens when she figures it out?" demanded Dean.

"I just need to buy a few hours that's all…enough time to get Delaney out of there and enough time for you guys."

"You mean for Dean and me," said Sammy. "Enough time for us to kill the demon…You want us to stay here and kill the demon… by ourselves?"

"No, Sammy. I want to stop losing people that we love. I want you to go school. I want Dean to have a home. I want your sister to have normal life, a husband, children. I just…I just want this to be over," said John gruffly, with tears in his eyes.

Dean looked at his brother. More than anything he wanted to go with his father to rescue his sister and make sure they both got out alive. But their father was right. If they didn't take this chance to kill yellow-eyes, it might never come again, and their lives would be forever in danger. And Sam. He had a duty to Sam too.

"Okay, Dad," said Dean. "Okay."

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"How are you doing there champ?" asked Meg.

Laney was fighting to stay awake. Fatigue and loss of blood had made her groggy and weak. "I'll live," she said softly.

"Good, can't have you croaking on me…at least not until your old man gets here anyway."

"Why are you doing this? What do you care about the Colt?"

"Why? Because this is so much fun," she snickered.

Meg threw up her hand at Laney. Confusion with a hint of fascination marred her face. "Huh, I never believed it was true."

"What? That you're a stark raving crazy bitch?" Laney bit out.

"No, that demon powers don't work on you."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I've heard from the higher ups that you are immune to our little tricks, but I didn't believe it. Now that I've seen it, I'm impressed. Not that it matters much. I can still do plenty to you. Just going to have to keep it old school."

Laney couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd obviously been immune to whatever power that yellow-eyes had tried to use to kill her. But real immunity? Higher ups? What the hell was this bitch going on about?

Meg knelt down by Laney, knife in her hand, and slashed another deep cut across Laney's chest. This time it was deeper. She cried out again and silently begged for her father and brothers to rescue her.

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"Here it is Dad," said Dean, handing his father the replica gun he'd found at the local antique store.

John took it out of the bag and examined it. "Looks good son."

"You know this is a trap, don't you?" asked Dean. "That's why Meg wants you to come alone."

"I can handle her," said John. "I've got a full arsenal. Holy water –"

"Dad," interrupted Dean.

"What?"

"Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"If this thing goes south, just grab Laney and run. Don't get yourself killed. You're no good to us dead."

John nodded his head. "Same goes for you two." He was freaking out about leaving them alone, just as much as they were freaking out about not coming along with him.

Sam and Dean nodded at their father.

"Boys, I'm going to get your sister back. I promise." _If it's the last thing I do,_ he promised silently.

"We believe you Dad," said Sam. They had to believe him. If Laney was killed, he just couldn't – wouldn't even allow himself to think about it.

John smiled at his sons. He pulled the real Colt from his jacket.

"Boys, the bullets for this were made special. Only four bullets left…without them, this gun is useless. So you have to make every shot count."

"Yes, sir," said Sam.

"Been waiting a long time for this fight," said John. "Now, it's here and I'm not going to be in it. It's up to you boys now, it's your fight. You finish this…you finish what I started. Do you understand?"

Dean nodded at his father and grabbed the Colt from his hands.

"We'll see you soon Dad," Sam said, his voice cracking.

John nodded at his sons. "I'll see you later."

John climbed in his truck and drove away, his sons watching and hoping they'd see him and their sister again soon.

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As soon as darkness fell, Sam and Dean drove over and parked across from Monica's house. They hadn't said much. They were thinking about their sister and hoping she was alright; hoping that she would stay strong until their father got her back. They were also trying to think of a way to get the upper hand in their current situation.

"We could always tell them there's a gas leak," said Sam.

"Meh, that never works for us," said Dean.

"True," Sam agreed. "Or we could tell them the truth."

Dean looked at his brother like he was crazy.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, that won't work either."

"Sam, we've got one move here. We wait for this son of a bitch to show up and we get it before it gets them."

Sam nodded and sighed. "I hope Laney's okay."

"She's tougher than we give her credit for. She'll be fine," said Dean, trying desperately to believe it.

"She's hurt."

Dean swallowed the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. "Dad will get her back." He had to believe that. He had to hang on to that thought or he was never going to get through the night.

"I wonder how he's doing."

"I'll tell you what, I'd feel a lot better if we were there backing him up."

"Yeah, me too," Sam agreed.

Dean kept his eyes on the house, waiting for the first sign of trouble. He needed to stay focused for the hunt at hand. It was only the most important hunt of his life. Yet, he couldn't stop hearing his sister's scream reverberating in his mind. He hoped to hell his father killed that demon bitch. Because if he didn't, he planned to make it his life's mission to wipe her off the face of the Earth.

Dean was about to say something to his brother when the radio began cutting out. Static.

The winds around the house started blowing fiercely and the lights on the porch of the house flickered.

Sam looked at his brother. "It's coming."

Dean's breathing quickened. _Here we go._ They both jumped out of the Impala.

Dean picked the lock of the front door, Sam right behind him. Sudddenly, a man wielding a bat took a swing at Dean.

"Get out of here!" shouted the man, whom Dean quickly assessed was probably Monica's husband. "Get out of my house!"

Dean struggled for a few seconds to get him under control. "Listen to me, we're here to help. There's something in your house."

"Charlie? Are you okay?" A voice called down from the stairs.

"Monica! Go get the baby!"

"No! No!" shouted Sam, "Stay out of the nursery."

Dean punched the man in the face and threw him over his shoulder to drag him outside. He didn't have time to reason with him.

Sam ran up to the nursery and froze for a brief moment. There he was; the yellow-eyed demon was standing at the crib. Monica was pinned to the wall. Sam quickly came out of his trance and fired the Colt directly at him. The shot went straight through the demon and into the wall. He'd disappeared in a puff of smoke; sending Monica dropping to the ground.

"Where did he go?" yelled Sam, "Where did he go?"

"My baby!" she yelled.

Dean came running into the room. "Get her out of here Sam, I'll get the baby!"

Sam glanced back at the crib before grabbing Monica's arms and dragging her out of the room. "Dean's got her! It's okay."

Dean grabbed the baby up in her quilt and lifted her out of the crib, just before it burst into flames. They made it out of the front door of the house just as flames exploded from the nursery windows.

"Get away from my family!" Charlie yelled.

"No, no Charlie, it's okay. They saved us," assured Monica. She turned to Dean and grabbed baby Rosie from his arms.

Sam looked back towards the window. And was faced with the demon who stood at the window. He started to run towards the house. "He's still in there!"

"Sam! What are you doing? It's suicide!" yelled Dean, grabbing his brother by the jacket and pulling him back.

"I don't care!" Sam exclaimed, trying to pull out of his brother's grip.

"I do!"

The demon disappeared from sight.

"Dammit!" yelled Sam. How could they have gotten so close for it to end like this?

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Laney woke up unsure of how much time had gone by. She'd either fallen asleep or unconscious at some point. It was hard for her to tell. Meg had a little fun slicing up Laney's arms and legs for her amusement. Except for the two lacerations on her chest, the others were all pretty superficial. Her wounds weren't life threatening. It had become clear to Laney that Meg was low demon on the totem pole and was taking her orders from someone else and whoever that was wanted Laney alive and in one piece, more or less.

Another demon, a male, had been standing by, watching everything, but hadn't said a word.

"Hello, Laney, I'm glad you're awake. It's midnight and Daddy should be here any second now."

"I'm here now," said a booming voice.

 _Dad._ Laney had never in her life been so happy to hear that voice.

"Well, well…John Winchester, as I live and breathe. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

John glanced at his daughter, inwardly blanching at her bloodied body. He met her eyes, offering her a reassuring smile.

"Hey sweetie, don't be scared. You'll be out of here in a few minutes, okay?" He soothed.

Laney nodded at her father, wincing at the pain the movement brought her.

"Oh, how touching," said Meg.

"I have the gun," said John, "So let's cut to the chase."

"Ooh, a man who's all business. I like it," she said, walking over to him. The male demon followed.

"Who are you?" asked John, addressing the male.

"He's an associate. Don't worry about it. Now hand me the gun, nice and slow like."

John nodded his head. "Nope, not until you let my daughter go."

"You don't make the rules here," snapped Meg.

"Don't I?" asked John, pulling out the gun. It may not be the real thing. But they didn't know that. He doubted she was willing to take the chance to find out.

He pointed the gun at her and cocked the hammer. "Let her go."

Meg released a frustrated sigh and threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, fine, whatever…I had my fun with her anyway." She nodded to the other demon. "Cut her loose."

He walked over to Laney and cut away her bindings. She slumped forward, every muscle in her body screaming out from being held in the same position for so long. Her head was spinning.

John had to do everything in his power to keep himself from running over to his daughter. He wanted to gather her up in his arms like a baby and carry her to safety himself. But he couldn't.

She managed to stagger to her feet.

"Baby, I want you to get out of town okay? Don't wait for me, you just leave. I'll join you as soon as I can. You go straight home."

"Please tell your brothers I said hello," smirked Meg.

"Dad, what about you?" asked Laney, hoarsely.

"I'll be fine honey. You just do what I told you. Don't look back, okay?"

"Yes, sir," she breathed out.

Laney struggled to get her body to follow her brain. She managed to get her feet moving steadily and headed for the door. She glanced back at her father.

"Dad…I love you," she said, tears in her eyes. She couldn't help feeling this might be the last time she would see her father, and as difficult of a relationship they'd always had, she still couldn't imagine him not around.

John smiled, tears glistening in his eyes. It had been a long time since he'd heard his daughter say that to him. He knew she loved him. But it was good to hear even under the current circumstances.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"Oh, please, let's kill the Kodak moment," snapped Meg, "My patience is wearing thin."

"Go on," said John, offering his daughter a reassuring smile.

Laney took one last look at her father and walked out of the door. She forced herself to move faster, until she was at a slow, albeit staggering run. Luckily the streets were empty and she quickly found her father's truck parked a couple blocks away. She found the hidden key underneath the chassis and climbed into the truck. When she got in there was a note addressed to her on the front seat. It was from her father.

 _Delaney,_

 _Whatever you do, don't wait for me. You start the truck and you drive. You drive straight to Bobby's place. Your brothers should get there the same time as you. Do not call them. We can't let the demons get a location. Don't stop anywhere. I filled up the tank and it will be enough to get you to Bobby's without stopping. It's important that you follow my instructions. I have no idea if you'll be followed. Don't worry about how I'll get home. I'll find a way. You and your brothers don't do a thing until you hear from me._

 _Be careful._

 _Dad_

Laney hesitated for a brief second before she started up the truck and peeled out of the parking lot. This was her father she was thinking about. The best hunter on the planet, he could get out of anything. He would be fine. She just had to remain conscious and get to her brothers. She had about a six hour drive ahead of her. She could make it shorter, but she didn't want to arouse suspicion by speeding, so she kept it at the speed limit. She had the cover of darkness on her side as well. She was glad that Meg had at least left her face untouched. She grabbed a flannel belonging to her father from the passenger seat and covered her upper body. Her top had been soaked with blood and there was not time to stop. Her legs were cut up and bloodied, but no one would be able to see them.

She needed Sam and Dean. She hoped with all her might that they were alive and well; that yellow eyes hadn't hurt them. She had to fight back the hysteria bubbling up in her that they could very She whispered a prayer for their safety.

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Sam drove the Impala down the highway, Dean in the passenger seat, desperately trying to get a hold of their father. They were headed back to Bobby's as per their father's last instructions. He promised he would meet them there as soon as he got their sister back.

Dean hung up his phone frustrated. He'd been calling nonstop for the last hour. "Damn it, Dad." Dean looked over at his brother. "He's still not answering."

"You should have let me go after him," said Sam.

"What?"

"You should have let me go back for the demon."

Dean looked at his brother as though it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

"What? And let you get yourself killed?"

"You don't know that, Dean."

"So, you're just willing to sacrifice yourself just like that?"

"You're damn right I am."

"Yeah, well not while I'm around."

"Dean, we've been looking for this thing our whole lives. It's the only thing we've ever cared about."

"I want to waste it too. I do. But it's not worth dying over."

"What?" asked Sam, incredulously. He slammed on the brakes of the Impala and pulled off the side of the highway.

Dean got out of the car. Sam walked up to him. "What did you say?"

"I mean it, Sammy. If hunting this demon means you getting yourself killed then I hope we never find it!"

"That thing killed Jess. It killed Mom. It tried to kill Laney."

"You said yourself that they were gone and nothing can bring them back."

"Don't you say that!" yelled Sam, grabbing Dean by the collar of his shirt and shoving him against the car. "Not after all this. Don't you say that."

"Sam," said Dean, tears in his eyes. "The four of us, that's all we have. That's all I have. Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding it together, man…without you and Laney and Dad, I just don't know what I would do."

Sam looked at his brother, for the first time, really seeing him. Instead of his big strong invincible older brother, he saw a young man, vulnerable and scared for his family. It snapped him back to reality. He released his brother from his hold.

"Dad," said Sam. "He should have called by now, try him again."

Dean dialed his father. The phone rang several times before it was answered.

 _"_ _You boys really screwed up this time."_

Dean looked at his brother, terror in his eyes. "Where is he?"

 _"_ _You're never going to see your father again."_

"Where's my sister?"

" _Guess you'll just have to wonder."_

Meg hung up the phone.

"They've got Dad now," said Dean, his voice breaking.

"Laney?" asked Sam.

"I don't know."

Dean ran his hands through his hair. "Okay, okay…uh…give me the keys."

Sam handed his brother the keys. "What are we doing?"

"We're going to Bobby's like Dad said."

"What about Meg?"

"They know where we are Sammy! We don't know how many of them are out there!"

"So? We have the Colt, let them come."

"We have three bullets left. We need to get to Bobby's and figure this out. We're no good to Dad or Laney if we're dead! So get in the car, now!"

Sam followed his brother's instructions.

Dean took off like a bat out of hell.

"What are we going to do?" asked Sam, again.

"We've got to figure out where they're keeping them. We'll make a trade. Laney and Dad for the gun."

"If they wanted a trade, why didn't Meg mention it?" asked Sam.

Dean was wondering the same thing.

"Dean, they might be dead," said Sam softly.

"Don't say that." _No way, they can't both be gone. It's just not possible._

"I don't want to believe it either. But if it's true, Dad would want us to go after yellow-eyes. This is what he would want."

"Stop talking about him like he's dead… Screw the hunt Sam! Everything stops until we get them back. Do you understand me?"

Sam sighed. "You're right…you're right." He had to get a hold of himself. His burning desire to kill yellow-eyes was clouding his judgment. His father and sister were more important than anything else in the world. He looked over at his brother, "Drive faster."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews. Please review if you're enjoying the story! Also, reminder to follow me as an author. I'm going to post a pre-series one shot in a day or two!**

Chapter 20

The Winchester boys arrived at Bobby's salvage yard just before dawn. On the way over they'd called him to fill him on the latest. He was several hours away but he'd promptly turned around and headed back home.

When Sam and Dean pulled up, they immediately got out of the Impala on high alert, searching for any signs of demon activity or any other signs of danger. Dean swallowed hard when he walked up the front porch stairs. The front door was ajar. He pulled his gun from his waistband. Sam followed closely behind him, keeping his eyes peeled.

"Look," said Dean, pointing down at a small trail of dried blood. "The salt line's not broken. Somehow they got her to come outside…then they grabbed her." _Bastards._

Sam gave his brother a worried look. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be comforted that there was very little blood. He just wanted the nightmare to be over.

The boys did a quick sweep of the place, checking all the rooms for danger.

"It's clear," said Dean.

Sam sighed in relief. "Okay, what now?"

"You hit the books and see if you can find anything that will help us."

"Like what?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. I'm much better at the killing part. Research is your bag."

"I wish Laney were here." She was so much better at it than he was.

"Yeah, me too," Dean said gruffly. He reached for his bag. "I'm going to clean up real quick."

"Yeah, okay." Sam walked over to Bobby's desk and started pulling out any books that he thought might be of relevance to the hunt.

Dean was almost to the bathroom when there was the faint but sudden rumble of a very familiar engine off in the distance and by the sound of it, rapidly approaching. The boys looked at each other. They'd recognize that sound anywhere.

"Dad!" They both exclaimed simultaneously.

Dean grabbed his sawed-off shotgun and a flask of holy water which he jammed in his pocket. They couldn't be too careful.

Sam gave his brother a questioning look.

"It could be a trap," said Dean.

Sam nodded. They both took up defensive positions and peeked through the drapes of the front window, watching as their father's truck came closer into view. It was hauling ass down the dirt road leading into the salvage yard.

Sam said a silent prayer. _Please, please, be Dad and Laney. Please._

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Laney turned on to the main road leading to Bobby's salvage yard, hoping and praying that her brothers were already there and waiting. Her head was pounding and the cuts on her arms and legs were itching and burning like crazy. There was no way she could stop and clean them up. She had followed her father's orders to the letter. Drive and don't look back.

She gasped when she was the Impala parked in the driveway. _Oh, thank God, they're here._

She slammed the brakes and threw the truck into park. Flinging the door open and jumping down from the truck, she fell straight to the ground, her legs completely giving way. Her brothers were running out the front door.

"Sammy! Dean!" she cried out.

"Laney!" yelled Dean, in shock. She'd gotten away somehow. Meg had lied. He couldn't believe his sister was there. Live and in person.

Dean reached his sister and audibly gasped when he saw her condition. Her legs were cut up and crusted with dried blood. The flannel she was wearing was unbuttoned and two large gashes across her chest were beginning to drip blood again.

"Kiddo, are you okay?" he asked, breathlessly. He knelt down in front of her, grabbing her face in his hands to look at her.

"They have Dad!" she cried out.

"It's okay, baby. We know," said Dean. He gingerly hugged her.

Sam knelt down on next to his brother and grabbed her hand. Dean was hovering over her so he couldn't do much else.

Dean put his arms under his sister's legs and picked her up carefully. She threw her arms around his neck tightly. He walked quickly back towards the house.

"It's not okay Dean, we have to get him back."

"Sammy, get the door."

Sam ran ahead of them, opening the door and making room for his sister on the couch.

"Get the first aid kit," instructed Dean.

Sam hesitated for a moment; now that he had his sister back he was scared to leave her. After a quick moment he ran down to the basement. Bobby had a well stocked emergency medical kit.

"Dean," sobbed Laney, "They have Dad." She couldn't stop repeating it. It had been playing over and over in her head the whole drive back.

"I know they do kiddo. I know. Shh… shh... it's okay…calm down, I'm going to get you all cleaned up. We need to take care of these cuts before you end up with an infection."

Dean could hardly get his thoughts straight. He was overwhelmed with relief to his sister alive and in front of him. They would figure out how to get their Dad back. For now he was going to stick to the task in front of him; to take care of his sister.

"We have to get him," Laney cried. Her breath started coming quickly; anxiety was threatening to take over.

"Laney, calm down. You're hyperventilating," said Dean. He grabbed his sister's face between his hands and forced her to look at him. "Breathe easy, come on. We're going to get Dad back okay. Bobby's on his way back right now. We're going to figure it out. Don't worry about it okay? We're going to take care of you now."

Laney took several deep breaths to calm herself; her sobs turning into whimpers.

"Good girl," he soothed, thumbing the tears away from her face.

"Dean," she said in a pleading voice. She threw her arms around her brother, gasping at the pain the movement caused, but ignoring it. She needed to feel the touch of someone who cared about her and loved her. She wanted to crawl up on his lap and be comforted like she used to do when she was a little girl. She wanted her big brother to save her from the big bad monsters.

Dean held her tightly. He ran his hands over her hair in a soothing motion when he felt the large lump at the back of her head. _Dammit._

He pulled back. "Your head."

"I got hit. I was so stupid. I walked right into it," she said, ashamed.

"You're not stupid," said Sam, who had returned with the medical kit.

"Sammy." Laney reached for her brother and hugged him. He held on to her for a full minute before letting her go. He said a silent prayer of thanks.

"Here squirt, let us take a look," said Dean.

Laney nodded. The adrenaline of the last 24 hours was wearing off. It had helped her stay alive-helped her get back to her brothers- but now that she was with them and feeling safe again, she felt every sore muscle and every cut.

Sam carefully pulled the flannel shirt she was wearing off. Both brothers had to bite back a gasp when they saw her full condition. Cuts were peppered all over her arms.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she said, when she noticed her brothers expressions. Although she wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure them as much as she was trying to reassure herself.

Sam pulled out a roll of gauze and some antiseptic and started cleaning her wounds.

"These two cuts on your chest are going to need stitches," said Dean, after inspecting them closely. He tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible. On the inside he was seething in anger. There was nothing more in the world that he wanted than to put Meg down. She was going to pay.

"You can do it, right?" asked Laney. She didn't feel like they had time to go to a hospital and get treatment. On top of that, how in the hell were they going to explain her condition?

Dean and Sam exchanged nervous looks. They'd been patching and sewing each other up their whole lives. But other than an occasional scraped knee or elbow, they'd never had to do that for their sister.

Dean looked into the medical kit. Everything he needed was pretty there.

"I'm not a plastic surgeon. It might leave scars," said Dean, apologetically. "But I can do it."

"I don't care about stupid scars," said Laney.

"Are you sure?" asked Dean.

"We don't really have a better choice."

Dean couldn't argue with that.

Sam sat down on the floor besides the couch next to his sister. "Lay back, baby."

"Okay."

She leaned back, grunting when the back of her head met the hard edge of the armrest. "Ouch."

"Shit," said Dean, he'd forgotten about her head.

"What is it?" asked Sam.

"Get some ice, will you Sammy? She's got a nasty bump on the head."

Sam frowned. "Yeah, okay."

Dean laid out the supplies he was going to need on the table next to him.

"I'm sorry Dean," whispered Laney.

"For what?"

"This is all my fault. I made a mistake and they got me. If I hadn't been so careless, they never would have caught me…they never would have gotten Dad. Some genius I am." Her eyes began to water again.

"Please stop beating yourself up. This is nobody's fault but that demon skank, and we're going to get her. Do you hear me?"

Laney nodded and wiped at the tears on her face. Dean reached up and grabbed her hand to squeeze it. "We're going to fix this," he reassured.

"Here," said Sam, walking in from the kitchen. He handed his sister an ice pack and helped her rearrange herself into a comfortable position on the couch.

"Thanks."

Sam offered his sister a smile in comfort. She reached out for his hand. He grabbed on to it and took his place back on the floor next to her.

"You ready?" Dean asked.

"Do it."

"I can't give you any shots to numb you. All we've got is this numbing cream and I don't know how well it works."

"It's okay. I'll be okay," said Laney, trying to reassure her brother. She knew he was a nervous wreck.

Dean applied to anesthetic cream over the injured area. Then he took a deep breath to calm his nerves while he threaded the needle. Sewing up Sammy was one thing. He was a big guy who could take some serious licks and stitches were par for the course. But sewing up his baby sister was a whole other ball game.

Laney and Sam both noticed his hesitation. "I can do it, if you want," offered Sam.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Dean, offended. "We need a few minutes to let the anesthetic take effect."

Laney nodded at her brother, but her thoughts were drifting to her father. She knew Meg was a cold bitch and there was no doubt in her mind that she had to be hurting him.

"I know about Pastor Jim," said Laney, suddenly remembering.

Sam looked at her sadly.

"Yeah, Dad was pretty torn up about it," he said.

"Is that where Bobby went?"

"Yeah, he was going to see what he could find. But we know who did it now," said Dean.

"We have to kill that bitch," Laney said, simply.

"We will." He had no doubt in his mind, that one way or another Meg was going to regret the day she'd crossed paths with the Winchesters.

Dean poked at his sister's chest. "Can you feel that?"

"Not much," she lied. Except for the slightest tingling and numbness, the cream wasn't working for shit. "Just get it over with."

Dean ran a clean rag over his face to wipe away the sweat. He was nervous as hell. He took a deep breath and finally pierced her skin with the needle and pulled the thread through. He glanced at his sister's face. She was obviously in pain, but she smiled at him anyway. So he pulled the next stitch through.

Laney gripped Sam's hand tightly. It hurt like a mother, but she'd gone through a couple of hours of being sliced up by some crazy demon girl from hell. She could handle it.

"I'm going to make the stitches as small as I can so the scars won't be too bad."

"Okay," she breathed out.

Dean kept stitching as quickly and cleanly as possible. The sooner he could get it over with, the better the both of them would be.

"Laney, tell us what happened," said Sam.

Dean glared at his brother.

"What?" mouthed Sam. They were going to have to get the story sooner or later.

"It's okay," said Laney softly, noticing her brother's silent conversation. "Maybe it'll distract me." _From this painful hell I'm currently in._

Dean nodded at her to go ahead.

"I got a call…I swear to God the voice on the phone sounded exactly like Bobby. It was him saying he was hurt and he needed my help…that he was just outside. I didn't even look out first, I just marched right out the front door and I got hit." Laney paused to mull over how absolutely stupid she had been.

"It's okay," said Dean, noticing her hesitation. "Keep going."

Sam began massaging his sister's temples. Laney sighed in appreciation.

"When I woke up, I was in some warehouse in Lincoln, tied to a chair."

"Was there anyone else with Meg?" Sam asked.

"Some guy…he was a demon too, but he didn't say a word while I was there. Whenever they spoke they went to another room."

"What did she say to you?"

"Not much really other than how much she despises you both."

"I tend to have that affect on people," Dean quipped.

"Apparently." Laney grimaced in pain.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah…just keep going."

"I'm halfway done with first one."

 _Halfway? That's it. You're killing me here._ "Anyway, she took her time cutting me up for kicks."

Dean and Sam's jaws both clenched in rage.

"I get the feeling she's pretty low on the demon food chain though."

"What makes you say that?" asked Dean.

"Something she mentioned to me."

"What?"

"She said that she heard from the, and I quote, the "higher ups" that I'm immune to demon powers. They can't use their mojo or whatever on me. She tried it herself and it didn't work."

Dean was so shocked by what his sister had just said that he stopped mid-stitch to look his sister in the eyes.

Laney took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know. This just gets better and better doesn't it?"

Dean shook his head in frustration and began working again.

Sam silently freaked out. More and more his sister was in the middle of everything.

"Was there any reason for you to think she might be working with yellow-eyes?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. When she was on the phone with Dad she said something about some kind of demon war… that we started it. I have a feeling that this is so much bigger than we could have ever imagined."

Dean stopped stitching again and looked up at his brother and sister. "I don't give a shit who's working with whom or what war is being waged or whatever. Meg is going down. And that yellow-eyed bastard is too."

Laney's breath hitched as she fought back tears.

"You okay, shrimp?"

"Just get it over with please," she said, gesturing to her brother.

Dean squeezed her arm in apology and continued sewing.

"So," Laney continued, "Dad showed up, he pulled the Colt on her and threatened to shoot her if she didn't let me go. So, she let me go…I don't understand why they still have him, if he gave them the Colt."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "It was a fake," said Dean.

"Excuse me?"

"It was a fake. Dad didn't want us to lose our chance to get yellow-eyes," said Sam, "So he left it with us."

"A fake? And you guys still have the Colt?"

"Yeah," said Sam.

Laney nearly sat up, "Did you get him? Tell me you got him. You got yellow-eyes right?" She had completely and utterly forgotten about the vision she'd had shared with her brother. She'd forgotten all about the hunt.

She looked between her brothers; she knew they answer by their expressions.

"He got away," said Sam, through clenched teeth.

"But we saved that family," interjected Dean. Some good had come out of the whole night. He didn't want them to forget that. Especially Sam who was acting like the whole night had been a failure.

Laney pulled the ice pack away from her head and tossed it over the couch in anger. "So, all this for nothing?"

Neither brother replied.

After a couple of minutes, Laney realized she wasn't going to get an answer to her question. She shut her eyes and concentrated on breathing through the pain.

It took about a half an hour before Dean finished sewing her up. When he was done he admired his handiwork. It looked pretty good. Even so, she was going to be scarred for life, which made him grit his teeth in anger. This was so freaking unfair.

"All done," Dean said, as he placed a bandage over the wounds. "Keep that on there for the next day at least and try not to get it wet."

Dean gave her other cuts a once over, examining her arms and legs. "I don't think any of these will leave scars."

"You would know," said Laney. Her brothers had enough experience with scars to know what they were talking about.

"Go wash them up and change," he said. "Use the bathroom down here and leave the door unlocked." He wasn't taking any chances.

"Okay."

Sam helped his sister stand up. She swayed on her feet for a moment before she regained her equilibrium.

"Okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll just be a few minutes."

Sam watched his sister walk slowly and stiffly to the bathroom. He was worried about her. He was worried about everything she'd gone through and worried about the fact that she was on the demons radar.

He turned around to face Dean, who was trashing all of the bloody gauze and packing up the medical kit.

"What now?" Sam asked.

Before Dean could answer, they heard a car approaching. He quickly grabbed his gun and walked to the window and looked out. He motioned to Sam to go cover his sister.

"It's Bobby," said Dean with relief. Finally, they had some back up.

Bobby ran in the house, locking the door behind him.

"They're here?" asked Bobby. He was thrilled to see John's truck in the driveway.

"Just Laney," answered Sam.

"You're Daddy?"

"They still have him," said Dean.

Bobby shook his head. "Dammit." _Poor kids._

"We need your help," said Sam.

"Of course."

"Bobby!" exclaimed Laney, glad to see another familiar face. She had been just about to get in the shower when she heard his voice.

Bobby walked over to Laney, taking in her appearance. He sucked in a breath. She looked awful.

He gave her a light hug, not knowing the full extent of her injuries. "It's good to see you girl."

"You too."

Laney pulled out of the hug and looked at him. "They still have my Dad."

"I know, sweetheart. We're going to figure out how to get him back."

Laney nodded.

"Do you know what's happening, Bobby?" asked Dean.

Bobby rubbed his hands over his beard and reached into his pocket to pull out a flask. He took a swig of whiskey. "You guys have stepped into some serious crap here."

"How's that?" asked Sam.

"Well, a normal year, you hear about three, maybe four, demonic possessions."

"Yeah and?"

"This year there have been twenty-seven…so far. You get what I'm saying? More and more demons are out there walking among us."

"Do you know why?" asked Sam.

"Nope, but I know it's something big. There's a storm's coming…and you kids and your Daddy are smack in the middle of it."

"Well we're going to have to figure this out," said Dean. "These demons are probably hot on our tail already. It's only a matter of time before they find us."

"I have an idea," said Laney, breaking her silence. She'd been mulling possibilities over in her head on the drive over.

"What?" asked Dean.

Laney looked at Bobby. "Key of Solomon."

"What? What's that?" Dean asked, looking between Bobby and his sister.

Bobby smiled at Laney. Girl really was a genius.

He turned to Dean.

"Devil's trap."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Someone care to enlighten me?" asked Dean.

Bobby, Sam and Laney were all looking at each other as if they had some shared secret that he wasn't in on.

"Devil's trap," repeated Bobby.

"Let her come to us, then we trap her," added Laney.

"How's that?" asked Dean.

"Key of Solomon," Laney answered as she walked over to Bobby's bookshelf and grabbed the book. "We can draw protective circles. You get a demon in one and they're trapped."

"It's like a satanic roach motel," Bobby added.

"You're sure this works?" asked Dean, unconvinced. They couldn't afford to go on a hunch. He needed hard facts and a sure thing. His father's life was at stake.

"Positive…seen it in action myself."

Dean nodded. He couldn't think of a better idea and this was as good a plan as any. "Okay, let's do it."

Everyone looked at each other, not sure how to take action. Laney pointed at Sam, "You're the artistic one."

"Yeah, okay," he said.

Laney smiled apologetically at her brother. She knew the task at hand was going to be a bitch to pull off, but he was stickler for details so he wouldn't miss a thing.

"I've got everything we need down in the basement…give me a hand would ya?" Bobby asked Sam.

"Sure."

Dean studied his sister for a moment. "Good call, kiddo."

"I'm good for something," she answered wryly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I should clean up," she said ignoring her brother's advice.

Dean frowned at her.

"Yeah, you do that. Get some rest too. You're going to need it."

"What about you?" Laney asked. She knew he had to be just as exhausted as she was.

"I'll manage."

Laney walked over to her brother and gave him a hug. "Thank you…for everything."

"Don't mention it."

He patted her on the back before releasing her. "Now go clean up. You smell pretty rank."

"You would know," she retorted as she headed upstairs.

Dean smiled even though he was beginning to worry about his sister's state of mind. So much had happened in such a short time. It was enough to send the sanest person bat shit crazy. Considering everything, she was holding up really well. He knew it had to be the Winchester blood running through her veins. They took a licking and kept on ticking.

Dean was pulled from his thoughts by the return of his brother and Bobby.

"Let's get to work," said Sam.

SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN

A couple of hours later Sam had completed the circle. He and Bobby went over it with a fine tooth comb, making sure that they had covered every painstaking detail. They couldn't afford any mistakes. When they were convinced that they'd reproduced it correctly they took a much needed breather.

"Well, now comes the hard part," said Bobby.

"What's that?" asked Sam. _As if that hadn't been hard enough._

"Waiting," he answered.

Sam nodded his head in agreement. Waiting was the hard part. He just wanted Meg to show her damn face already. The more time that went by, the more he was worried about what was happening to his father.

Sam went to check on his siblings. They were both asleep on the couch in the living room. Laney had fallen asleep with her head in Dean's lap after begging him to rub her back. He had obliged because he knew she needed the comfort. And if he was being honest; it comforted him to do it.

Sam smiled before tapping his brother on the shoulder. "Dean," he said quietly.

Dean opened his eyes, nearly jumping up at the touch before remembering where he was. "What is it?"

"We finished the trap."

"Good," Dean looked at his watch. He'd been knocked out for two hours.

"I'm going to grab a shower," said Sam, grabbing his bag from the floor by the door.

"Yeah, okay…I'll keep watch."

Dean rubbed his hands over his tired face. Two hours was simply not enough sleep. He almost would have rather not slept at all. He just felt more tired. _I need coffee._

He carefully lifted his sister's head from his lap so he could get up. He didn't want to wake her. There was no reason she couldn't sleep longer. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and gently covered her with it. She stirred for a moment and turned over on her side, letting out a soft whimper of pain with the movement.

Dean frowned. She was probably in a lot more pain than she'd let on and she was just trying to make it easier on her brothers. Soon as she woke up he was going to make her take something. Pride be damned. Too bad she had to go and be so much like him when it came to stuff like that.

He waited until she relaxed and settled back into a peaceful sleep before heading into the kitchen to make some much need coffee. Luckily for him, Bobby had already brewed a fresh pot.

"Come to Daddy," said Dean, grabbing a clean mug and filling it up.

"Need a moment alone there kid?" asked Bobby, walking into the kitchen.

Dean smiled. "No, it's okay. Don't mind an audience."

Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you going to try and sleep?" Dean asked.

"Don't think I could if I tried."

"No kidding. Nothing like the impending doom of a demon on your ass to keep you up at night."

"Didn't seem to keep you from passing out on the couch."

Dean raised an eyebrow. _He's got me there._

"Yeah…well I didn't want to leave Laney alone. She's really beating herself up. Blames herself for everything that's happened."

"Not her fault," said Bobby. He knew this would have happened one way or another.

"Yeah, I know. But try convincing her of that. She's put this whole thing on her shoulders."

"You can't let her do that. It'll eat her up."

Dean nodded knowingly. But he didn't know what he could do to change fix it.

Sam walked into the kitchen, his hair wet from the shower. "I could use a cup."

"There's plenty," said Bobby.

Sam poured himself a cup of coffee. "So what are you talking about?"

"Laney," answered Dean.

"What about me?" asked Laney, with a yawn. She stood in the kitchen doorway.

"We were hoping you'd sleep longer. You need it," lied Dean.

"I'm good," she said.

She walked over and poured her own cup of coffee. Bobby looked at her in disbelief.

"Coffee?" he asked in surprise.

 _Oh yeah. One of the many things that have changed for me._ "New habit I picked up a while back."

Bobby looked at Dean, who gave him an expression that said he should just drop it.

"How you feeling?" asked Sam.

"Sore and itchy. But I'll live."

She was wearing long pants and a hoodie. It was impossible to tell that underneath all the clothes she was covered in cuts and bruises, which he guessed was the point of her dressing like that.

Sam walked up next to her and put an arm around her. He pulled it away when she winced at the touch.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Sammy."

"You need to take something for the pain," said Dean.

Laney frowned; by his tone she could tell it was a demand and not a request. Now, wasn't the time to be a pain in the ass, so she went to do as she was told.

She walked into the bathroom in the hall and closed the door behind her. She studied herself in the bathroom mirror. With a sigh, she splashed some cold water on her face and took a couple of ibuprofen she pulled out of the medicine cabinet. She couldn't afford to use anything stronger. She needed to be alert and focused when the time came.

She was in the middle of drying her face when she felt a strong sensation wash over her. It was like an electrical current running the entire length of her body from head to toe, a dim buzzing left in its wake. _Oh crap._

"She's here," said Laney breathlessly, charging into kitchen.

All the men were immediately on alert.

"Meg?" asked Sam, "You sure?"

"Yes. I can feel her."

That was enough for all of them to take her seriously. Dean grabbed his shotgun with one hand and his sister with the other, pushing her behind him as he backed up towards the living room. Sam and Bobby followed behind, covering her from the other side. Before they had gotten into the safe zone, the door was kicked in and suddenly she was there standing in the doorway.

Laney's breathing quickened. _Meg._

"No more crap," she said, walking into the house.

Dean let go of Laney's hand and walked straight for her, a flask of holy water in his hand. Meg stopped his charge with a flick of her hand, sending him across the room and slamming him into the bookcase.

"Dean!" shouted Laney. She started to run for her brother but Sam grabbed her and pushed her behind him. He moved as quickly and discreetly as he could. They had to get into the safe zone, before Meg pulled anymore crap. She needed to be perfectly positioned in order to walk into the trap.

"I want the Colt, Sam. The real Colt. Right now."

"We don't have it on us," lied Sam. "We buried it." He continued walking into position. Keeping her talking so she wouldn't notice what was happening.

"Didn't I say no more crap! After everything I heard about you Winchesters, I've got to tell you that I'm a little underwhelmed. First your sister walks right into our hands, then Daddy tries to pass of a fake gun and leaves the real gun with you idiots. Lame, man. I mean, did you really think I wasn't going to find you?"

Laney's eyes widened, when she saw Dean appear in the doorway behind Meg. She was glad to see he was okay.

"Actually we were counting on it," he said.

Meg turned around to face Dean. He looked up towards the ceiling, her eyes following his up to the protective circle that had been painted there. She looked at Dean, mild disbelief in her eyes.

"Gotcha."

Meg was effectively trapped. She attempted to take a step and couldn't. Laney felt bittersweet victory.

"You were saying?" asked Laney. _We'll show you what Winchesters can do._

"Aren't you smug?" asked Meg. "How's my artwork holding up? Going to leave scars is it?"

Dean walked up to Meg and threw the holy water in her face. "That's for my sister, you demon bitch."

She screamed. Sam and Bobby ran up and helped Dean tie her to a chair while she was in her weakened state. Once she was situated Bobby went off to make sure the rest of the house was secured from any further demon encroachment. Laney pulled up a chair and sat against the wall, but face to face with Meg.

Bobby returned quickly. "It's taken care of," he said. "If there are any demons out there, they ain't getting in."

Dean nodded and turned to the demon. "Where's our father Meg?"

"You didn't ask very nice."

"Where's our father, bitch?"

"Geez…you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh, I forgot. You don't."

Dean, who had been trying to maintain his cool, lost it. "Do you think this is a freaking game? Where is he?" he shouted.

"He died screaming. I killed him myself."

Laney's breath hitched. _No, no way. She's lying._

Sam reached out for his sister's hand. She grabbed it tightly.

Dean punched Meg in the face.

Meg grunted, but didn't act like it hurt much. "That's kind of a turn on, you hitting a girl."

Dean cocked his hand back ready to smack her across the face again.

"Dean," said Bobby, nodding for him to step away.

Dean sighed and approached his siblings and Bobby.

"You okay?" asked Sam.

"She's lying," said Dean, looking straight into his sister's eyes. "Dad is not dead."

He said it with such force, that Laney had to believe it was true.

"Dean, you've gotta be careful with her. Don't hurt her," said Bobby.

"Why in the hell would I care if she's hurt?" demanded Dean.

"Because she really is a girl, that's why."

"What are you talking about Bobby?" asked Sam.

"She's possessed. That's a human possessed by a demon. Can't you tell?" asked Bobby, incredulously.

Laney shook her head in disbelief. They hadn't had much experience with demons outside of yellow-eyes. Other than him she hadn't even met one before Meg came along and if her brothers had, she didn't know about it.

"Are you trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped in there somewhere?" asked Dean.

Bobby nodded. "Yeah."

"That's actually good news," said Dean.

"What? Why?" asked Laney.

"Sam, get Dad's journal."

Sam didn't ask questions, he knew what his brother was thinking. He dug through the pile on the desk and pulled out their father's journal.

"Dean?" asked Laney.

"It's okay, baby," he responded.

Laney bit her lip. Whatever was going on she was just going to have to go along for the ride.

Sam opened up the journal and nodded to his brother. They walked back into the room.

"You gonna read me a story?" asked Meg.

"Oh, we're going to read you a story all right," said Dean. "Hit it Sam."

Sam began to read from the journal – in Latin.

 _Oh shit. An exorcism,_ thought Laney. She should have known. She recognized the Latin immediately.

"An exorcism?" asked Meg.

"Yup…projectile vomiting, head spinning…the whole nine yards," said Dean.

As Sam read, she started to squirm and struggle in her chair. "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to rip the bones from your body and I'm going to finish the job I did on your beloved little sister."

"No. You're going to burn in Hell," spat Dean, "Unless you tell us where our Dad is."

Sam paused for a moment. When Meg said nothing, he continued.

"He begged for his life with tears in his eyes," sputtered Meg, "He begged to see his kids one last time…and that's when I slit his throat."

Laney stood up from her chair. She was ready to charge at Meg all on her own. Bobby walked over to stand next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"For your sake, I hope you're lying…because if it's true, I will march into Hell and I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches, so help me God," said Dean.

Sam continued reading. Laney could feel the pulse of energy in the room.

"Where is he?" demanded Dean.

"He's dead!" shouted Meg.

"No! No he's not!" Laney shouted.

"Laney," said Bobby, softly, "Let your brother handle this."

"How does it feel Laney?" asked Meg, "Knowing your Daddy died saving your life."

Laney charged after her, slapping her in the face. She didn't care if there was an innocent girl in there. She wanted to hurt her. She wanted to hurt her the same way she'd been hurt. She wanted her to die.

Bobby grabbed Laney and pulled her back. Dean put an arm up in a protective gesture in front of his sister.

Sam paused for a moment before continuing. Meg's chair started to jerk from side to side under the devil's trap. She started to convulse. Sam was getting close to completing the incantation.

"Wait! He's not dead," said Meg.

Dean put a hand up to gesture for Sam to stop reading.

"How do I know you're not lying?" asked Dean.

"You don't."

"Sam, finish."

"Wait…a building. There's a building in Jefferson City."

"Missouri? Where? Give me an address."

"I don't know."

"And the demon we're looking for, where is it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," answered Meg. "I swear. That's all I know."

"Finish it," said Dean, after a pause.

Sam looked at his brother unsure of what to do.

"But I told you the truth," pleaded Meg.

"I don't care," said Dean.

"You son of a bitch…you promised."

"I lied. Sam read."

"We could still use her," said Sam.

"She doesn't know anything else," said Dean. "There's an innocent girl trapped in there. We've got to help her."

Bobby released Laney from his hold. "Dean, you're going to kill her."

"What?"

"You said she fell from a building. That girl is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon. You exorcise it and she'll die."

"Listen to me…both of you. We're not going to leave her like that."

"She'll die," said Bobby.

"And we're going to put her out of her misery. Sam, finish it."

Sam looked between his brother and Bobby unsure of what to do.

"Finish it," Dean pleaded.

Sam sighed before he continued reading.

Meg began to shake violently before her mouth opened and a thick black cloud of smoke was expelled. Her held fell forward and blood began dripping from her mouth.

Dean kneeled down and felt for a pulse. "She's still alive," he said, shocked. "Call 911."

Bobby ran off for the phone.

Laney stood still shocked. She'd never seen an exorcism before.

Dean and Sam carefully laid Meg down on the ground.

"Thank you," she breathed out, her voice ragged. "It's been a year."

"Don't talk, we're getting help," said Dean.

"I was awake for it…but I couldn't move my own body. It was a nightmare."

"Was it telling us the truth about our Dad?"

"Dean," said Sam in warning.

"We need to know."

"Yes, he's still alive," whispered Meg.

Laney let out a sigh of relief. "Where are they keeping him?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Dean and Sam looked up at their sister. They'd almost forgotten she was there.

"Sunrise."

"What does that mean?" asked Dean.

Before they got an answer the light went out from her eyes. She was gone.

Tears began to fall from Laney's eyes. She no longer saw the demon that had tortured her and captured her father. She saw a young woman, not much older than herself, who had been innocent. She was dead now; as much a victim of the demons as they all were.

Laney looked at her brothers. The girl's death was obviously deeply affecting them. Their lives had been dedicated to saving innocent people. This girl's only crime was getting possessed by a demon. She didn't deserve this end. But there was no other alternative.

"You better get out of here before the paramedics show up," said Bobby.

"What are you going to tell them?" asked Dean.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll think of something."

They started walking towards the front door.

"Take this," said Bobby, handing Sam the Key of Solomon. "You never know when you might need it."

Sam nodded. "Thanks Bobby."

Laney cleared her throat. They had failed to mention what she was supposed to do.

"Get your stuff. You're coming with us," said Dean.

She looked at her brother in surprise. She had expected him to leave her behind with Bobby.

"Okay," she said, not questioning him.

Bobby looked at Dean, "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm sure. Splitting up hasn't really worked well has it?" He wasn't about to let her out of his sight again. He didn't know what they were going to be facing, but he knew he would feel a hell of a lot better having her by his side. As far as he was concerned, it was the safest place in the world.

Laney returned with her bag. She gave Bobby a quick hug.

"Take care, sweetheart," he said.

"You too."

"Ready?" asked Dean.

Laney responded, voice steady and sure, "I'm ready."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hey all, I will be posting the first one-shot in my Wee Laney series tonight! Be on the lookout.**

Chapter 22

"It's easily a twelve hour drive," said Laney.

"And?"

"Come on Dean, please...you guys need to get some rest."

"It's not like you got much more than we did."

"No…but –"

"But nothing," interrupted Dean. "I don't care if you're an excellent driver, Rain Man…you're not driving the Impala."

Laney sat back in her seat, trying to stifle a pout. She was trying to be helpful. The tension and the anticipation in the car sucked. It was a long way to Jefferson City, a long way to think of a million different scenarios involving their father – few of them good.

Dean glanced back at his sister's gloomy face in the rearview mirror and frowned. She looked so dejected.

"Maybe," said Dean, "When this is all over with, I just might, possibly, let you drive the Impala."

He noticed her expression brighten up.

"Really? You're not just saying that so I'll leave you alone?"

"Not entirely."

"I'll remember that."

"I'm sure you will." _What, with that damn near photographic memory and all._

Dean's stomach audibly growled.

"Hungry?" asked Laney.

"Starving," he admitted. "But we're not stopping until we need gas."

Laney wasn't going to argue with that. They couldn't waste a second. And it occurred to her that she might be able to make some headway on their father's exact whereabouts. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. The battery was dead and she didn't have a spare with her like usual.

"Sammy, can I borrow your phone? My battery is dead."

"What for?" he asked, removing it from his pocket and reaching over the backseat to hand it to her.

"I'm going to call a friend for help."

"What kind of help?" asked Dean.

"Well, we've got a name right? Sunrise? We know it's some kind of building so I'm going see if he can do some research for me, since I don't have access to the internet right now."

"He?" asked Dean, always suspicious.

"Yes, he… Gavin Cole."

"Gavin Cole? That's Miranda's son, isn't it?" asked Sam.

"Yup."

Gavin was a few years older than her and one of the only hunters she trusted to help with tech related issues. The truth was she really liked the guy, although she was going to keep that little tidbit for herself. She knew he could keep his mouth shut and not ask questions. His mother had been a hunter until she retired to open up a bakery in Sioux City. His father had been killed by a werewolf when he was a baby.

Dean eyed her suspiciously. He wasn't crazy about his sister talking to anyone of the opposite sex. Especially someone he'd heard referred to as, smoking hot.

"Why not just call Bobby?" asked Dean.

"I'm sure he's a little busy…what with a dead girl in the middle of his living room and all."

"Good point."

Laney rolled her eyes when she caught her brother's expression and opened her phone and dialed the number.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

"Hey Gavin."

 _"_ _Baby Winchester! Good to hear from you. How's MIT?"_

"Uh…I'm taking a break. Long story. I could use your help on something though."

 _"_ _What can I do for you?"_

"I need some research."

 _"_ _You need me to do some research for you? Isn't it usually the other way around?"_

 _"_ I don't have access to my laptop."

 _"_ _That sucks."_

"Tell me about it. Anyway…Jefferson City, Missouri…I need any locations you can find with the name of Sunrise in it…everything, street names, neighborhoods, business names…particularly office buildings, warehouses, or apartment buildings."

 _"_ _Okay, I'm on it."_

Laney sighed in relief. This was why she liked him. He didn't ask any questions, regardless of how odd her request might be.

 _"_ Call me back at this number as soon as you get something."

 _"_ _You got it."_

"Thanks a lot Gavin."

 _"_ _You let me take you to dinner sometime and we'll call it even."_

Laney couldn't help herself; she blushed. Gavin never passed up the opportunity to flirt with her. "Well, if you get anything useful, then we'll talk about it."

 _"_ _Then I'd better get to it."_

"Bye."

She disconnected the call.

"What was that all about?" asked Dean.

"What?"

"You're blushing."

"Nothing Dean, don't get your panties in a bunch."

Sam chuckled from the front seat. Dean glared at him.

"I'm sure he'll have something soon. Until then, if you two insist on driving, I'm going to take a nap."

"You do that," said Dean.

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"Laney, wake up," said Sam, shaking her shoulder.

"Huh? What? What's wrong?" asked Laney, groggily. She'd been so sounds asleep, she was confused.

"Nothing, we've stopped to grab gas and food."

"Ah, okay," she said, stepping out of the backseat with a yawn. "I'm going to hit the bathroom."

"I'll come with," said Sam.

Laney raised an eyebrow.

"Remember the last time we let you go without an escort?" asked Sam.

"Oh, right," she mumbled. She had forgotten. With all that happened since then, there was an ever increasing list of bad shit and that bathroom incident with the serial killer was quickly spiraling down to the bottom.

"Where's Dean?" she asked looking around.

"He's getting the food. We'll eat on the road."

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Twenty minutes later they were back on the road. Sam was driving while Dean indulged in his bacon cheeseburger and fries. Laney shook her head amusement. It never seemed to matter what life or death situation that might be facing; his appetite never suffered.

She'd already finished off her breakfast sandwich. She'd wanted waffles, but her brother had flat out refused, mumbling something about maple syrup, a sticky backseat, and a cold day in Hell.

The cell phone in her pocket rang. "It's Gavin," she said, looking at the caller ID.

"Put him on speaker," said Dean.

"Dean," Laney pleaded. He was just being a pain in the ass.

"Speaker," he repeated.

Laney gave him an annoyed look, which he snickered at. She answered and put the phone on speaker.

"Hello."

 _"_ _Hey gorgeous, I've got some leads."_

"Uh hmm," said Dean, clearing his throat.

" _Oh, hey, I'm on speaker. Is that you Dean?"_

"Yup and – "

 _"_ What did you get Gavin?" Laney asked, cutting off her brother.

 _"_ _I've got a list of possible hits. Not much though. I don't know if that's a good thing or not."_

"It's a good thing. It'll take us less time to find what we're looking for."

 _"_ _Good. So, we've got Sunrise Laundromat, Sunrise Heights Estates, Sunrise Towers, Sunrise Refrigeration, Sunrise Preschool, and Sunrise apartments."_

"Tell me about Sunrise Towers and the apartments."

 _"_ _Uh, Sunrise Towers is an office building in downtown Jefferson City, half the floors are occupied by National Bank, the other half by a law firm. No vacancies there."_

"And what about the apartments?" asked Laney.

" _Sunrise Apartments, it's a 40 unit building. Five floors, the upper 4 of which are empty due to renovations."_

Laney looked at Dean, "Sounds like our best bet," she said. "What's the address Gavin?"

" _325 Mount Maclure Avenue."_

Laney repeated the address out loud and committed it to memory.

"Got it…can you shoot me an e-mail with the other info you got, just in case?"

" _Not a problem."_

"Thanks Gavin, I owe you one."

 _"_ _Dinner?"_

"Uh…uh…I don't know," stuttered Laney.

"Not a chance," said Dean. "You do know she's only 17, right? And you're what 22? 23?"

 _"21, and it's_ _just dinner."_

 _"_ Call back when she's legal."

" _It's a date then."_

Laney couldn't help but smile. Gavin was never intimidated by Dean. It was probably one of the reasons she liked him so much.

Before she could respond, Dean reached over, grabbed the phone from her hand and hung up.

"Dean! That's so rude. He was helping us."

Dean ignored her.

"Sammy?" pleaded Laney, needing a little back up.

"Sorry, kiddo, I'm on his side on this one."

"Ugh," she grunted. If her brothers had their way she'd end up the crazy cat lady, no husband and no kids, just a hundred cats to keep her company.

"Anyway," said Dean, "The apartment building does sound like the best bet."

"Yeah, small and contained and with construction going on it's probably easy to get in and out without arousing suspicion," added Sam.

"Still, forty units and five floors are a lot for us to get through."

"Well, lucky for you guys, you've got your magical demon detector with you," said Laney, dryly.

Sam and Dean exchanged concerned looks.

"Might as well put me to good use," said Laney.

"You're not going in the building with us," said Dean.

"I'm sorry? Why the Hell not?"

"It's too dangerous," answered Sam.

"No shit, Sam. But everything about this is. And besides, they can't use their mojo on me."

"Didn't stop them from hurting you before," said Dean, angrily.

Laney clenched her jaw. "But I've got you two backing me up this time."

Dean ran his hands through his hair in frustration. She had a point. They couldn't use their power on her which could tip the scales in their favor when rescuing their father.

"We'll talk about it more later," he finally said.

Laney didn't push it. She knew by his tone that she'd better let it drop or his answer would definitely be no.

"Pull over Sammy, I'll drive," said Dean, tossing his food in a bag.

"Okay." Sam pulled off the side of the road and got out of the car. Laney got out as well.

"Where are you going?" asked Dean.

"I'm going to sit up front with you," she answered. "Sammy, you take the backseat and rest up."

"I won't argue with that," said Sam.

He stopped his sister and gave her a kiss on the top of her head before she got in the front seat.

"Sleep well, Sasquatch," she said.

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"I've been thinking," said Dean, who was getting the gear in order.

"That must be painful," snorted Laney.

"Cute," he said, rolling his eyes, before he continued what he was doing. They were just outside of Jefferson City. Sam was standing at the front of the Impala studying the Key of Solomon and doing his best to ignore his siblings. They'd been egging each other on nonstop for several hours.

Laney beamed her bright smile at her brother. "So, you were thinking."

"Yeah smart ass, I was thinking about what we're going to do when we get to Jefferson City. Specifically," he said, pointing a finger at her, "What you're going to do when we get there."

Laney's smile fell from her face. "Okay, tell me."

"We don't know what we're facing until we're there. So, you'll stick with us until we do. But you have to follow my orders. You can't argue with me. What I say goes. You got me?"

Laney glanced at Sam in disbelief. From his frown, she surmised he wasn't crazy about the idea.

She didn't care. Dean was really going to let her come with them. She wasn't getting left behind in some seedy motel room, hoping they'd all come back in one piece.

"I got you."

Dean nodded. "Good."

Laney walked over to the other end of the car to Sam. "You've been quiet."

"Just getting mentally prepared."

"Probably not easy with me and Dean's bitching at each other."

"Not really," he admitted with a smile.

"It's totally harmless," she said, "It's how we pass the time on these long drives."

"I guess I really did miss a lot while I was gone."

"Yeah, you did," said Laney. "But you're here now."

"Dad's going to be okay you know."

She wrapped an arm around her brother's waist. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know you are baby," he said looking down at her.

"Don't tell Dean," she whispered.

Sam laughed.

"Meanie."

Sam suddenly pulled his arm from around his sister.

"What?" she asked.

"Look at this," he said pointing to a page.

Laney studied the diagram of a devil's trap. It was different from the one used to trap Meg. She interpreted the Latin.

"Okay, what do we need it for?"

Sam didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a white marker from his bag and walked back to the trunk of the Impala, leaving a very confused sister in his wake.

He started drawing symbols on the trunk door. Laney's eyes went wide. _Holy shit. Dean's going to kill you Sammy._

As if he'd heard her thoughts, Dean noticed what his brother was doing. "What the Hell are you doing to my car?" he demanded.

"It's another type of devil's trap. Nothing can get through it, or inside it."

"So," said Dean, wiping at the markings. He was relieved to see it wasn't permanent.

"It basically turns the trunk into a lock box."

"So," repeated Dean.

"So, we have a place to hide the Colt when we go get Dad."

Laney stepped away from her brothers and walked back to the front of the car. She had a feeling this conversation was going to go south fast.

"What do you mean? We're taking it with us," said Dean.

"We've only got three bullets left," said Sam. "We can't just use them on any demon. We have to use it on _the_ Demon."

"Uh no, we have to save Dad," said Dean, coming around the car to face his brother. "We need all the help we can get."

"Do you know how pissed Dad would be if we used all the bullets? He wouldn't want us to bring the gun."

 _He's got a good point there,_ thought Laney. Dad would be furious.

"I don't care Sam!" exclaimed Dean. "I don't care what Dad wants! And since when do _you_ care what Dad wants?"

"He would want us to kill this demon! You used to want that too! You're the one who came and got me at school and you're the one who dragged me back into this. You started this, and I'm just trying to finish it."

Laney walked a little closer to her brothers, ready to get in the middle of it if it came to blows.

"You know, you and Dad are a lot more alike than I thought. You both can't wait to sacrifice yourselves for this thing. But you know what? I'm going to be the one left behind to bury you. You're selfish, you know that? You don't care about anything but revenge."

"Dean," Laney admonished.

Dean looked at his sister as if he just realized she was standing there. He looked at her apologetically.

"That's not true," said Sam, "I want Dad back. But they're expecting us to bring this gun. If they get the gun, they will kill us all. That Colt is the only leverage we have and you know it Dean. We cannot bring that gun with us."

"He's right," said Laney, just above a whisper.

"Fine!" exclaimed Dean.

"I'm serious," said Sam.

"I said, fine." Dean dropped the Colt into the trunk, albeit reluctantly. He slammed it shut. "Let's go."

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They parked the Impala a block away from Sunrise Apartments. Dean shouldered the bag of gear.

"You ready for this?" he asked his sister.

"As I'll ever be."

"Stick close to me and Sam. Follow our lead."

Laney nodded in agreement.

"Take this," he said, handing her a small caliber gun.

Laney grabbed the gun, her stomach a bundle of nerves. She stuck it in the waistband of her pants, safety on, like she'd been taught.

"Let's go."

They approached the building from across the street, studying it from behind a bank of pine trees. There were mothers and children playing out front. Everything looked as normal as could be.

Laney felt an electrical current shoot through her. The buzzing in her ears louder than ever before. She grunted in pain.

"You okay?" asked Sam with concern.

"This is the place," she said, taking a deep breath. "I can feel them. More than one, but I don't know how many more."

"Son of a bitch. It's a pretty smart move. If these demons can possess people, then they can pretty much possess anyone inside."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "And they can make anyone attack us."

"So, we can't kill them. It's a building full of human shields."

Laney took several deep breaths to try and ease the intense pressure in her head. She was trying to follow along with the conversation. But the buzzing was overwhelming, her senses were on overload. _Okay, Laney, you can do this. Pamela taught you how to deal with this._ She thought over the instructions she'd been given and went quickly through her mental exercises, shutting down parts of her brain, and dulling her senses, until finally she felt the pressure begin to ebb.

"I'm sure they know what we look like," said Laney, breathlessly. "And they could look like anybody."

Dean offered his sister a quick glance of concern. "Man, this sucks out loud."

"Tell me about it," said Laney. And she wasn't just talking about the demons either. Her "gifts" sucked hardcore.

"So how the Hell do we get in?" asked Sam.

"We'll pull the fire alarm. It'll clear out all the civilians," said Dean.

"But the city responds…in what?"

"Seven minutes," said Laney, "More or less."

"Yeah," said Dean.

"So what's the plan?" asked Sam, looking from his brother to Laney. Really he was silently asking his brother what they planned to do with their sister.

"You'll pull the alarm, Sam. When the fire department shows up, I'll borrow some uniforms to get in the building in disguise."

Dean tossed his sister the keys to the Impala. "Wait until the fire department shows up, then bring the car around to the back of the building…then you wait for us."

"You're really going to let me drive the Impala?" asked Laney in surprise.

"It's one block," said Dean, "And please, please, be gentle."

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Laney pulled the Impala around to the alley behind the apartment building. She had to admit, even though she only got a short taste behind the wheel, she could see why her brother loved the car so damn much.

She parked midway down the alley, slightly out of view. She was sure the demons knew not only what they looked like, but what kind of car they drove.

She looked at her watch. _It's been 10 minutes._ How long was this going to take? Her body was tight with tension and she was itching like crazy from her healing wounds. At least her head was feeling better. The buzzing was down to a very light hum and the pressure was gone. Whenever she let her mind drift, it would start to come back full force. It took some measure of concentration to keep the walls up.

"I'm going crazy here," she muttered to herself. The waiting was the hardest part. She pulled the gun out of her waistband and laid it down next to her on the passenger seat for easy access.

"Come on guys," she pleaded out loud.

She immediately became alert when she noticed three figures climbing out of a fire escape from the building. She grabbed the gun and took the safety off, just in case.

"Oh, thank God!" It was her brothers and her father. _He's alive!_

She put the Impala in drive and began pulling up closer to them. Sam spotted her and pointed.

Laney smiled, before she was hit with another strong current. Her eyes widened. Before she could yell out a warning, a demon slammed into her brother.

She jumped out of the car just in time to see the demon send Dean flying into the windshield of a nearby car. The demon returned his attention to Sam and began to pummel him with his fists.

 _He's going to kill him._ Laney fumbled for the car keys and ran around to the trunk, without a thought, she grabbed the Colt and started running towards her brother. She cocked the gun, aimed straight at the demon's head, and fired. It was a perfect shot. The demon shuddered and fell to the ground, dead.

Laney watched the demon for a moment, unable to comprehend fully what she had done.

"Laney!" yelled Dean, running up behind her. He'd seen everything.

She looked at her brother apologetically, "I had to."

Dean nodded at his sister. She looked like she was in shock.

"I had to," she repeated.

"You did good," he assured. "Come on, we've gotta get out of here."

Laney nodded, but her feet were planted one spot, staring at the corpse.

Dean hurried over to his brother, "Sammy? You okay? Come on, get up." He helped his brother get to his feet.

"Laney!" yelled Dean, "Snap out of it! Get in the car." He was being harsh, but he had to. Now wasn't the time for this. Hunting was a dirty business, she was going to have to get used to this side of things if she was going to be a real hunter.

Laney's head finally snapped up. She ran over to Sam and helped him get in the car.

Dean walked over with his arm around their father and got him into the passenger seat. Laney tossed her brother the keys before getting into the backseat next to Sam. Her mind was reeling from everything that had just happened, she barely had a moment to rejoice in the fact that her father was right in front of her, in the flesh and alive, before Dean floored the gas and tore out of the alley.

"Are you okay?" asked Dean, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror.

Laney shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to have to be."


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hi All! I posted a Wee Laney one-shot called, An Apple Pie Life, yesterday. If you haven't seen it, check it out! I plan to post a one-shot every week and will continue to update this fic daily. For anyone new to this fic, there are THREE sequels (and growing) to it that will be posted. We are just more than halfway through this one. Sooo much more Laney, Sam and Dean to come. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

Chapter 23

"How is he?" asked Laney.

"I think he'll be okay," Dean answered. Their father had been unconscious most of the way out of town and was just now coming around. "How are you?"

Laney ignored the question. "How about you Sammy? You took a beating."

"I'll live," he said, as he laid the last of the salt lines on the windows.

"Good," she said. She was sitting at the table watching Dean clean his weapons and trying not to think about what she had done, even though it seemed everyone was trying to get her to talk about it.

Sam turned to his brother. "Hey, you don't think that we were followed here do you?"

"I don't know," answered Dean, tossing his sister a meaningful look.

"I don't think so," Laney said slowly. There was still a low humming in her head, but she figured it was just a lingering effect from earlier. Really, she had no idea, because her super duper supernatural detector of a brain didn't come with an instruction manual.

"Well, we couldn't have found a more out of the way place to hold up," said Dean.

"Yeah, I guess," said Sam. He pulled out the chair next to his sister and grabbed her hand. "Hey baby. You know it's okay don't you? What you did back there for me? You saved my life."

"So you're not mad that I used the Colt?" asked Laney, softly.

"Why would I be mad?" asked Sam, confused.

"Seriously kiddo, you kept your head on straight in a tense situation. I'm proud of you," said Dean.

"Your quick thinking saved my life. I don't care that you used the Colt," said Sam.

Laney nodded. She was unable to meet his gaze. She got up from her chair and walked over to the window.

Dean and Sam exchanged worried glances.

"That man I shot, he was a real person. I know he was possessed, but he was a real person. He probably had people who loved him and cared about him. Maybe he had a family of his own," said Laney, softly.

"You didn't have a choice," said Sam.

"I know Sammy, but that's not what has me upset."

"Then what does?" asked Dean.

"I didn't hesitate to kill him. It didn't even cross my mind," she said sadly. "I saw Sammy in trouble. I knew that he was going to kill him and I shot him and even knowing that there was an innocent person trapped in there somewhere; it doesn't bother me and that scares me."

Dean understood all too well what she was talking about. For his family, there wasn't anything he wasn't willing to do. She was learning a hard lesson.

"It shouldn't," came John's voice from the doorway. "You did good."

Laney turned around to face her father. "You're not mad at me?"

"Why?"

"Because I used a bullet. Now there are only two left."

"I'm not mad. I'm proud of you," he said, smiling.

Laney's eyes narrowed slightly. Something was off. First off, it didn't make sense to her that he wouldn't be upset, for a multitude of reasons – the least of them being her presence. The low hum she'd been experiencing started to become louder. Her ears started ringing. Something was wrong. The lights in their hideout started flickering.

Dean and Sam both stood up from the table. Dean pulled his sister away from the window and towards the middle of the room.

"It found us," said John, looking around. "It's here. Sam go check the salt lines."

"Dad, I checked them, they're good."

"Check them again, just to be safe."

Sam hesitated for a brief second before going off. "Okay."

"Dean, you got the gun?" asked John.

"Yeah…you know Sam tried to shoot this thing in Salvation and it vanished."

Laney cocked her head to the side. The noise in her head was becoming intense. There was something different about it, but she didn't know what.

"This is me," said John, "I won't miss."

When Laney looked at her father, she was hit with the sudden recognition of the energy. _Oh, my God._

"Give me the gun, hurry," said John putting his hand out.

Dean pulled the Colt from his waistband and held it in his hand. He was hesitant to hand it over. He had a strange feeling he couldn't shake. He glanced at his sister.

"Denmark," said Laney in a barely audible voice.

"Son, give me the gun. What are you doing?" demanded John.

Dean backed up away from his father while reaching out for his sister's hand and pulling her close. She'd used their code word. They had come up with it years earlier. It was to signal danger or warning.

"He'd be furious," said Dean, beginning to put the pieces together.

"What?"

"That Laney wasted a bullet. Dad wouldn't be proud. He'd tear me a new one, just for letting her come along."

Dean pushed his sister behind him, cocked the gun, and aimed it at his father. "You're not my Dad."

"Dean, it's me," said John, advancing towards him.

"I know my Dad better than anyone and you ain't him."

"What the Hell has gotten into you?"

"I'm asking you the same thing," said Dean.

"Dean, what the Hell's going on?" asked Sam, walking into the room.

"Your brother's lost his mind," said John.

"He's not Dad," said Laney.

"What?"

"It's not Dad. He's possessed," she answered, glancing at her brother, "I think he's been possessed since you rescued him. I could feel something wasn't right."

"She's right," said Dean, "It's not him."

"Are you sure?" asked Sam, torn.

"Sammy, we don't have time for this," said John, "If you want to kill this demon, you've got to trust me."

Sam looked back and forth between his siblings and his father. He had to decide who to trust.

"Sam?" John urged.

"No," said Sam. He slowly backed away and stood next to Dean.

"Fine," said John, "If you're so sure, kill me." He put his arms wide.

Dean's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he began to lower the gun. He couldn't do it.

"I thought so," said John, smiling. When he looked up at them, his eyes had changed. They were yellow.

Laney gasped. Before anyone could react, he used his demon powers to throw Sam and Dean against the walls and pin them there. The Colt clattered to the ground. Laney dove for it and managed to grab it, cocking the hammer and pointing it at the yellow-eyed bastard before he could do a damn thing about it.

"I have to say," he said, pointing at Laney, "That you're a real pain in my ass."

He began walking towards her. She put her finger on the trigger. "Stay back."

"Hmm… I would say that you wouldn't shoot, but if you popped the cork on all that anger and pain you've been secretly carrying around inside you just might… you know, there's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings. Tell Daddy and Dean and Sammy everything. It'll be very liberating."

"Go to Hell!" she shouted.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he sneered.

"Leave her alone," said Dean as he struggled against the invisible force pinning him to the wall.

"I'll get to you in a minute, big brother. You're sister and I are having a little chat."

"We've been looking for you for a long time," said Sam.

"Didn't I just say I was busy? You're very rude Sammy."

"I'm going to kill you," said Sam.

"Oh, that would be a neat trick." Yellow-eyes laughed and turned his attention to Sam and Dean. "You know, I could have killed you two a bunch of times today, but this was worth the wait. Your Dad…he's in here you know, trapped in his own meat suit. He says 'hi' by the way."

"Let him go," said Dean gruffly, "Or I swear to God."

"God? What's He going to do about this? You see, as far as I'm concerned this is justice." Yellow-eyes walked over directly in front of Dean. "You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter." He turned to face Laney, "The one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand?"

"You've gotta be kidding me," said Dean.

"Why? You're the only one who can have a family? You destroyed my family. How would you feel if I killed your family? Oh, that's right, I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don't make a right."

"You son of a bitch," Dean spat.

"I want to know why," said Laney.

He turned to face her. Laney took a few steps back.

"You mean, why I killed Mommy dearest?"

"Yes."

"Because she was in the way."

"Is that why you killed Jess?" demanded Sam.

He walked over to Sam with a smirk on his face. "Yup…she was in the way, too."

"In the way of what? Your plans for me?"

"Ding ding, we have a winner!"

"Can we just get this over with?" asked Dean, "Because I really can't stand the monologue."

"Oh, you're funny," said yellow-eyes, turning his attention to Dean. "But that's part of your M.O isn't it? Mask all that nasty pain… mask the truth."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"You know, you fight and fight for this family, but the truth is, they don't need you. Not the way you need them. You know, Sammy is his favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you or your sister."

"I bet you're real proud of your kids too. Oh wait, I forgot, we wasted them."

Yellow-eyes stood in front of Dean for a moment, saying and doing nothing, until he released a wave of energy at him. Dean cried out in pain as he started bleeding from wounds in his chest inflicted by the invisible force.

"Leave him alone!" screamed Laney.

"Dean!" yelled Sam.

"Stop!" shouted Laney. "Stop or I will shoot you!"

Yellow-eyes released Dean from the attack and turned to face Laney.

"Pretty convincing," he mused, as he studied her face. "But I have a better proposition."

Laney glanced at Dean's pale form. He was bleeding from the chest, but he was still alert.

"I'll trade their lives…for yours."

Dean and Sam looked at each other. "Leave her alone," said Sam.

"Sam, stay out of it. The baby and I are having a talk."

"What do you mean?"she asked.

"I mean, that I will let your brothers go. And your father too, if you put that gun to your head and pull the trigger."

"What? You crazy bastard!" yelled Dean, "Laney, don't listen to him. He's a demon, he's lying!"

"Tsk, tsk, Dean," said yellow-eyes, before releasing another onslaught of power at him.

Dean grunted in pain.

"Okay! Just stop! Stop! Leave him alone!"

Yellow-eyes released him again. "You'll do it?"

Laney didn't have to think about it. She would do anything to save them, but she had issues with trusting the yellow-eyed bastard. "How do I know you won't just kill them anyway?"

"Because, you've been a pain in my ass for seventeen years now and if you live any longer, you're really going to put a crimp in my style. With your powers, you'll be more powerful than you can imagine and that's bad for people like me. I can't kill you myself, so this is the next best thing. Besides, Daddy won't miss you anyway. But you probably already know that."

Laney looked at him questioningly. "Come on Delaney. You've always known the truth, deep down inside. You know how I really know? Because dear Daddy gave you up once."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't listen to him Laney," said Dean, his voice hoarse.

"What are you talking about?" repeated Laney.

Yellow-eyes smirked. "It's all in here," he said, pointing at his head. "I know everything John has ever done, including dropping you like a hot potato as soon as the opportunity arose. That's right, he found a nice little family to adopt you and left you there like a piece of defective luggage."

"You're lying," whispered Laney.

"You know, I'm not. Do you know why Daddy went and fetched you back a few weeks later? It wasn't because of your substitute father over there's incessant whining for you," he said, pointing at Dean. "It was to save face. He couldn't have everyone thinking what a screw up he was. What would everyone think of him? His pride got in the way and so he took you back. But he never really wanted you. It's why he's barely paid any attention to you your whole life. You're gum on his shoe. Just an annoyance."

"Shut up," she said, choking back the tears.

Laney looked at Dean, and from the pained expression on his face, she knew there was some truth to it. Her father really had given up her up once.

"Laney," pleaded Dean. "Don't do it." He couldn't handle it. They couldn't handle it.

"Please baby. Don't believe him for a second," said Sam.

"How can I trust you?" asked Laney, turning back to yellow-eyes.

"I get what I want; you dead, the Colt, and the pleasure of knowing how tortured your brothers will be that you sacrificed yourself for them. I can live with that."

"Baby, he's lying," said Sam. "Don't listen," he pleaded, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Laney shook her head; she wasn't sure what to believe. But if she didn't do something, Dean was going to bleed to death.

She pointed the gun at her head.

"NO!" shouted Dean. He couldn't lose her. He would rather die a million deaths, than watch his sister do this.

"Dean, you'll die and I can't do it. I can't shoot him. I can't be responsible for killing Dad too. Mom's already gone because of me," she said. "If this is the only way…then I have to. You would do the same for me or Sammy."

"Baby, put it down, don't do it," cried Dean.

"I love you both," she said, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, how touching," said yellow-eyes.

Laney ignored him. "Take care of each other. Take care of Dad."

"NO! Don't!" yelled Sam.

"Dad!" yelled Dean, "Dad! I know you're in there. You can stop this! Dad… please," he begged. His father had to regain control. He couldn't let his daughter kill herself.

Yellow-eyes shook his head, his body jerked, and suddenly it was their father again, "Stop," he whispered, as regained control.

Dean and Sam both dropped to the floor. Dean collapsed unconscious, weak from the blood loss. Sam ran over to his shocked sister and pulled the gun from her hand. He pointed it at their father, who had lost out to yellow-eyes again.

"You kill me, you kill Daddy," he said.

"I know," said Sam, before shooting him in the leg.

John collapsed to the ground at Laney's feet. Sam hurried over to his brother.

"Dean?"

"Where's the baby?" he asked, regaining consciousness.

"She's okay," said Sam. "She's fine."

"Dad?"

"He's okay, he's right over here."

"Go check on him."

"Okay."

Sam approached his father's prone form. He pushed Laney behind him.

"Sammy!" yelled John, suddenly arching up. "He's still alive! I can feel him. You shoot me! Shoot me in the heart son."

Sam raised the Colt at him and cocked the hammer.

"Don't do it Sam, don't do it," said Dean.

"Shoot me!" pleaded John, "I'm begging you. We can end this right here and now. Just do it."

"Sammy, no," pleaded Dean, weakly.

Before Sam could consider it again, his father's mouth opened and a thick plume of black smoke escaped and disappeared into the ceiling. Yellow-eyes escaped, again.

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"Sammy hurry, I can't stop this bleeding," said Laney.

She was in the backseat behind her father. Dean was lying on the seat next to her. She applied pressure to his chest wounds.

"I'm going as fast I can," he said, "We'll be at the hospital in ten minutes."

"I'm surprised at you Sammy," said John, "I thought we saw eye to eye on this. Killing the demon comes first, before me, before everything."

Sam glanced back at his siblings in the rearview mirror. Laney looked terrified and Dean looked like he was barely hanging on

"No sir," said Sam, "Not before everything…look, we still have the Colt, we still have a bullet. We just have to find him again."

Laney was about to comment on how stupid they were even talking about the damn demon when her brother could very well be dying, when out of the corner of her eye she saw a pair of headlights. _What the Hell?_ It was her last thought before she heard the shattering of glass, crunching of metal, and she plunged into darkness.

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Sam opened his eyes and attempted to move, wincing at the pain it caused. They had just been hit by a semi-truck. He fumbled to pull the Colt from his jacket pocket.

A man approached his driver's side window, which had been completely obliterated, and pulled off the car door, like it was nothing but a toy.

Sam cocked the gun at the man, "Get back or I'll kill you, I swear to God."

"You won't," said the man. "You're saving that bullet for someone else."

Sam cocked the gun and raised it. "You want to bet?"

The man studied Sam for a moment, before his mouth opened and the demon possessing him expelled itself. He dropped to his knees and looked up at the Impala. "Oh my God, did I do this?" He got up to his feet. "I'm going to call for help!" he shouted, running for his truck.

"Dad?" called Sam. "Dad?"

No answer.

"Dean! Laney!" Sam shouted.

No answer.

Sam struggled in his seat for a moment before he was able to get enough room to turn partially sideways. One of his legs was pinned.

He looked at his father who was bleeding from a head wound and felt for a pulse, it was strong and steady. He was unconscious, but alive.

He twisted his body just enough so he could turn around, grunting in pain. What he saw in the backseat sent a shot of terror down his spine.

Dean's head was resting against the car door. Sam could make out the subtle movement of his chest rising and falling. He was breathing.

Laney had been thrown across the seat. Her body was lying at an odd angle on the floor of the car at Dean's feet. She was face down and he couldn't tell if she was breathing.

"Laney!" yelled Sam, panic bubbling up.

No answer.

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It seemed like forever to Sam before help arrived. He repeatedly called out for his siblings and his father, but still got no response.

The sun was already rising.

"We're going to get you out of here sir," said a rescue worker.

"My brother and sister in the backseat…are they okay?"

"We'll take good care of them, don't worry about it." One of the medics placed a collar around Sam's next to stabilize his neck.

Sam noticed the expression on the paramedics face when he peeked into the backseat.

"What's wrong?" demanded Sam.

"Sir, be calm. These guys are here to help."

The paramedic reached for his radio. "Dispatch, we're going to need an air medic, STAT. Two victims, multiple traumas, stand by for vitals."

" _Copy that. Air medic dispatched. 12 minute ETA."_

One of the medics started asking Sam questions while the rescue workers worked to free his leg from the wreckage.

"What's your name?"

"Sam Winchester. What about my brother and sister?"

"Sam, we're working on them. You can help me with providing some information about them though. What's your brother's name?"

"Dean."

"How old is he?"

"He's 27."

"Any allergies or medical history we should know about?"

"No, no…not that I know of."

"Okay…how about your sister?"

"Her name is Delaney...Laney…she's 17. She's allergic to penicillin."

"Okay, Sam, that's helpful to us. Thank you."

"Where are you taking them?"

"We're going to fly them to the trauma center. You'll follow behind in an ambulance."

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. _Trauma center? Helicopter? This was bad. This was really, really bad._

"How about my father?"

"He's going by ambulance too. He's stable."

Sam felt a great relief of pressure as the firefighter managed to pull away the part of the dashboard that was pinning his leg. He was able to move it himself. It hurt, but he didn't think it was broken.

"Let's get a backboard," called out a medic. They began to pull him out of the car and place him on a stretcher.

He listened to everything going on around him, trying to make out what was happening with his siblings.

"Dispatch, this is Medic 114, we have a 17 year old female, unresponsive, breathing shallow and erratic, no breath sounds on the right side, possible collapsed lung. Pupils are fixed and dilated. Cranial swelling noted…Abdomen tender and hot, pulse and BP dropping."

"Laney!" yelled Sam, when he heard the medic talking about her. He was smart enough to know that she was in critical condition. "My sister, please take care of my sister," Sam pleaded.

"She's getting the best care sir."

"Sammy. Laney."

Sam eyes widened, it was Dean's voice. Slurred and soft, but it was his.

"Dean!" yelled Sam.

"Relax, sir, relax, you'll be okay." One of the medics assured Dean.

"My sister, my Dad?"

"They're being taken care of."

"I'm okay, Dean!" reassured Sam.

Dean closed his eyes and let himself drift off into unconsciousness again.

Sam saw the approach of the helicopter overhead, grateful that help had arrived and his brother and sister would be on their way to the hospital.

He was loaded into the back of the ambulance with nothing to do, but hope and pray his family was okay.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"I want to know what's going on with my family!" demanded Sam.

He had already waited hours after being treated for his minor cuts and bruises. The more time that went by without word of his family's well being, the more frantic he became.

"The doctor will be right with you, sir," said one of the ER nurses.

"You've been saying that for hours." He was about to lose his mind.

A man dressed in scrubs, presumably the doctor, approached the nurse's station. "Mr. Winchester, come with me."

Sam sighed. _Finally._

He followed him into a room devoid of anything but a couple of chairs. He shifted nervously; this was the kind of room where bad news was delivered. As much as he wanted to know what was going on, he suddenly wasn't so sure he was ready to hear it.

"I'm Dr. Davis. I'm one of the attending trauma surgeons here. First off, your father is fine. He's got a dislocated shoulder, a few broken ribs, a concussion and some contusions, but he's going to be just fine."

Sam sighed in relief. "What about my brother and sister?"

"I was your brother's surgeon. He had some internal injuries…damage to one of his kidneys and a lacerated liver and he suffered some blood loss. But the most concerning injury is the one to his heart. The force of impact caused a tear in the main artery to his heart. It's called traumatic aortic disruption."

"Bottom line doc… is he going to die?" Sam didn't want the details, he wanted the big picture.

"With this kind of traumatic heart injury, ninety percent of the victims die before they even make it to the hospital. The fact that he's made it this far is a testament to his strength. He's fighting, but I won't lie to you. It's an uphill battle and the odds are against him."

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. "And my sister?" he croaked out.

"I'm going to go get her surgeon to speak with you."

"Okay."

Sam buried his head in hands. He had a hard time believing that anything could happen to Dean. His big brother was supposed to be invincible. He'd looked up to him his whole life. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

"Mr. Winchester?"

Sam looked up to see another doctor in scrubs. "Yes."

"I'm Dr. Spencer. I'm the surgeon on your sister's case."

"How is she?"

"She has a fractured arm and a compound fracture of the leg, which we've surgically repaired...a collapsed lung, multiple contusions, and we had to remove her ruptured spleen. We got her internal bleeding under control." The surgeon sighed heavily before continuing.

Sam held his breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"All of those things are recoverable."

"But," said Sam.

"But, your sister also sustained a very serious head injury. We call it a TBI, or traumatic brain injury."

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. "How bad is it?"

"It's bad. She has a skull fracture and swelling in her brain. She's in a coma."

Sam closed his eyes to try and hold back the tears. "What can we do?"

"Well, we won't know her full condition until she wakes up. _If_ she wakes up."

"What do you mean, _if_ she wakes up?"

"I have to be honest. Brain injuries are tricky and unpredictable. We'll keep watching the swelling and treat it with medications. If it gets worse, we'll have to operate, which would entail drilling a hole in the skull to allow for the relief of pressure."

"Why not do it now?" Sam asked shakily.

"She's too unstable for any further surgery. We just have to keep a close eye on her and wait and see, okay?"

 _No, not okay,_ thought Sam. If his brother and sister died he would never be okay again.

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"Have you been to see them yet?" asked John. He was sitting up in a hospital bed, a sling on his injured arm. Because of his concussion they were keeping him overnight for observation. The surgeons had been in earlier and informed him of his kids' conditions.

"I saw Dean." And he didn't last more than five minutes before he had to leave. He couldn't stand to see his brother all hooked up to machines. It wasn't natural. He had tried to see Laney, but was told she still wasn't out of the recovery room.

"They're strong Sam. They'll get through it."

Sam nodded his head, uncertainty all over his face. "I don't know Dad… I think we need to find some hoodoo priest to come lay some mojo on them."

"We'll look for someone. But son, I don't know if we're going to find anyone."

"Why not? I found that faith healer before. He saved Dean."

"That was a one and a million shot."

"So, what are saying? You're just giving up?"

"No, I didn't say I wouldn't look. We'll turn over every stone."

Sam nodded.

"Where's the Colt?"

"Your kids are dying and you're wondering about the Colt?" asked Sam, incredulously. He started pacing the room angrily.

"We are hunting this demon and maybe it's hunting us too. That gun may be our only card."

"It's in the trunk," said Sam.

"You've got to clean out that trunk before some junkman goes salvaging in there."

"I already called Bobby. He's an hour out and he's going to tow the Impala back to his yard."

"Okay, you go meet Bobby and you get that Colt and bring it back to me. Watch out for hospital security."

"I think I've got it covered."

"Hey," said John, as he handed a paper to his son. "I have this list of things I need. Have Bobby pick them up for me."

Sam scanned the list. "What's this stuff for?"

"It's for protection."

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Sam met Bobby at the yard the car had been towed to. They were both shocked at the state of the Impala. The rear passenger side was crushed. It looked like a beer can someone had stepped on.

"Man, Dean's going to be pissed when he sees this."

Sam walked around the wreckage and peeked into the car, stopping short when he spotted his sister's laptop on the floorboard. When he pulled it out it disintegrated into several pieces.

"Laney's going to hit the roof when she sees this." That laptop was her pride and joy. She'd pretty much built it herself.

Bobby chuckled softly. "No doubt." He realized they were speaking of Dean and Laney as if they were going to be walking up to them at any second, instead of hanging on to life by a thread. It was just easier that way.

Sam continued rifling through the car, grabbing their bags and any other loose items.

"Look Sam, this just isn't worth a tow. I say we empty the trunk and sell the rest for scrap."

"No way, Dean would kill me if I did that." said Sam, shaking his head. "He's going to want to fix it when he gets out of the hospital."

"There's nothing to fix. The frame's a pretzel. The engine is ruined. There's barely any parts worth salvaging."

"Listen to me Bobby…all Dean needs is one working part. That's enough. We're not just going to give up on –"

Sam's voice trailed off.

Bobby understood what he was feeling. "Okay…you got it. I'll take it back to my place."

Sam nodded in thanks and pulled the list his father gave him out of his pocket.

"My Dad gave me this. He wants you to get this stuff for him," he said, handing it to Bobby.

Bobby scanned the list. "What does he want this for?"

"For protection from the demon."

"Huh."

"What is it Bobby?"

"It's nothing. It's just…uh –"

"Bobby, tell me what's going on."

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Sam stormed into his father's hospital room, steaming mad.

"Did you think I wasn't going to find out?" demanded Sam.

"What are you talking about?"

"That stuff you wanted from Bobby, you don't use to ward off a demon, you use it to summon one! You're planning on bringing the demon here aren't you? You want to have some stupid macho showdown!"

"I have a plan Sam."

"That's exactly my point!" yelled Sam. "Dean and Laney are dying and you have a plan! You care more about killing this demon than you do about saving your own kids!"

"Don't tell my how I'm feeling. I'm doing this for them," said John, angrily.

"How? How are you doing this for them? It's the same old thing. You don't care about anything else but yourself. You're doing this for revenge! It's the same selfish obsession!"

"I thought this was your obsession too. This demon killed your mother, it killed your girlfriend. You begged me to be part of this hunt and if you had killed that damn thing when you had the chance none of this would have happened."

"It was possessing you Dad. I would have killed you too!"

"Yeah, and your brother and sister would be awake right now."

"Go to Hell," said Sam.

"You know, I never should have brought you along in the first place. I knew it was a mistake."

Sam clenched his jaw. His father was always blaming everyone around him for everything that went wrong. The truth was none of this would have happened if he hadn't decided to become a hunter and drag his three children along with him. Before he could tell his father that, there was sudden commotion in the hallway. Nurses were running down the corridor in the direction of his brother's room.

"Go, go check it out," said John.

Sam took off at a run. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw the medical personnel rushing into his brother's room. He stopped at the doorway. They were performing CPR on Dean.

"Please…no," whispered Sam.

"We're losing him," said the doctor. "Get the paddles, we'll shock him."

"Clear!" yelled the nurse, before pressing the paddles to his brother's chest.

Sam choked on a sob when Dean's body jumped with the shock.

"Nothing…do it again," said the doctor.

"Clear!"

The doctor leaned over Dean with his stethoscope. The beeping of the monitor alarms ceased.

"We've got him back. Normal sinus rhythm."

Sam breathed a deep sigh of relief.

The doctor gave the nurses further instructions before approaching Sam.

"Doc, is he going to be okay?"

"We've got him stabilized. But if we lose him again, I don't think we'll get him back."

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"Was it Dean?" asked John.

"Yeah."

"Is he okay?"

"They lost him for a while, but they got him back. The doctor says if it happens again…he's gone."

John ran his hands through his hair. He couldn't lose his son. He couldn't lose either of his children.

"Have you seen your sister yet?"

Sam nodded, shame written on his face. "Not yet."

"Go see her. She needs you."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to make a few phone calls…see what leads I might be able to dig up as far as getting some help for your brother and sister. I'll come see her when I'm done."

"Okay."

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"I'm looking for my sister, Delaney Winchester. I'm her brother Sam."

The nurse at the station looked up at the very tall, good-looking young man. Her expression was somber. She'd heard about the Winchesters and their horrible car wreck.

"Come with me," said woman. "She's in the Neuro-Intensive Care Unit. I'm Rachel, the nurse assigned to her case."

"How's she doing?"

"She's holding her own. Her vitals are still a bit unstable, but that's to be expected this early on. We're monitoring the fluid and swelling in her brain and giving her some very strong medication to try and help relieve the pressure. She's on a ventilator to help her breath. "

The nurse stopped at the door. "I want you to be prepared. She's heavily bandaged. Her head and face are extremely swollen. You won't recognize her."

Sam nodded, not trusting his voice.

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

When the nurse opened the door, despite her warnings, he simply wasn't prepared for what he saw. If she hadn't told him that was his sister in the bed, he never would have believed it. There were wires and tubes coming from everywhere. She had more monitors and equipment in the room than Dean had. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm with the help of the ventilator.

"Sam, I know it looks bad. But I've worked on this unit for twenty years and I've seen miraculous things happen. Patients that were essentially written off as brain dead suddenly wake up and start talking, like nothing ever happened. Brain injuries are hard to predict and treat, because no two cases are ever the same."

"Is there anything I can do for her?"

"Well, in my experience, the patients that do better are the ones with their family around. Talk to her, let her know that you're here."

"Can she hear me?"

"There's no evidence that patients in comas can hear what's going on around them…but I'd like to believe she can. Just be with her, hold her hand, talk to her."

"Okay," said Sam, talking a seat in the chair next to her bed. He looked up at the nurse. "Thank you."

"No problem, Sam. If you need anything, just hit that call button on the side of the bed there."

"Okay."

"I'll leave you two alone."

With a smile she walked out of the room.

Sam scooted closer to the bed and grabbed his sister's good hand. He leaned in with his head on the pillow next to ear. "Hey baby. It's your big brother Sammy. I'm here now, okay. So you just open up those beautiful eyes of yours. I'm right here, waiting."

When his sister showed no sign of responding, he finally lost it. For the first time since the ordeal began he let himself cry unrestrained tears of grief. He let it all out. He couldn't take it. If he lost his brother and sister, he didn't want to go on living; all the things most important to him in the world would be gone.

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"Sammy, wake up," said John, shaking his son's shoulder.

Sam had fallen asleep leaning over in the chair, his upper body covering his sister protectively.

"Huh? Dad? What's wrong? Is Dean okay?"

"I came up to see your sister. Dean's still doing okay. Why don't you go on down and keep him company?"

"Yeah, okay." Sam stretched his body out and took a look at his watch. He'd been out for a couple of hours.

"I'm going to stay up here for awhile."

"Okay Dad."

Sam took one last look at his father and sister before closing the door.

John sat down in the seat his son had vacated. He'd been warned about her condition. It didn't make it any easier. This was his baby girl. His only daughter and she was lying in a hospital bed, possibly dying or forever damaged. He could blame his son all he wanted. The truth was, it was all his fault.

He grabbed his daughter's warm hand. "Hey, sweetheart. It's Daddy."

He pushed back her dark hair with his free hand. "Do you know how proud I am of you? The way you handled things back there…you did everything right. If you hadn't been there and kept your head screwed on straight, your brothers and I would have been dead already. But you were great. You need to know that."

John wiped at the tears falling from his face. He wished he'd been able to tell her these things while she was awake to hear them. He didn't know why he'd always had such a hard time talking to his daughter. He'd done everything wrong when it came to her.

"You have to get better, Delaney." He leaned forward and kissed his daughter's forehead.

He leaned back and watched her, memories of her growing up playing in his head. There was a heavy sadness when he realized how few and far between they were. He was always out on some hunt, sometimes for weeks at a time, and once Dean had been of age, months at a time. Even when he was around he was never very present. He'd trained his sons to be hunters, but for the most part he knew, he'd ignored his daughter.

"You know… I don't think I ever told you about how you got your name…you were over a year old and we were still running around calling you "the baby". I didn't have a clue what to name you. I went back to Lawrence to clear out some things from the old house after it was sold and one of the things I found was your mother's old journal. The last entry in it was a list of baby names that she liked." John smiled at the memory, pausing before he continued. "There was one particular name that was circled and next to it your mother had written a little note, "This might be the one". It was Delaney. And you know what the significance of that name is? The night we found out we were expecting you, we found someone to babysit the boys, and I wanted to take your mother out for a fancy dinner to celebrate. But she wanted none of that. She asked me to take her out to look at the stars. Mary loved stargazing and we drove around for over an hour looking for a spot that she liked…it was one of the most perfect nights we'd ever had together. We talked about our dreams for your brothers and our dreams for you... We were so excited that you were coming… we'd been trying for a few years… it was such a great night, that I wish I could have frozen it in time…but the point of this story is that the name of that spot we spent that perfect night was…Delaney Point. So I honored your mother's wish and named you Delaney."

John wasn't sure why he'd never shared that with his daughter. It would have meant a lot to her. It was a little piece of her mother – a piece of her history. Maybe she would have understood that he didn't use the shortened version of her name like everyone else did because he was hanging on to his wife's memory.

"I'm sorry sweetie. I should have told you that a long time ago… you need to wake up, so you can hear me tell it to you. You need to wake up for your brothers sakes. They need you more than you realize. You're the glue that holds them together."

That was the truth. If it wasn't for her, his family would be in a bigger mess than it was.

John stood up and gave his daughter another kiss on the forehead. His children were dying. It was time for him to do something about it.

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"You rang?"

John raised the Colt and pointed it directly at the yellow-eyed demon.

"Conjuring me up? I took you for a lot of things, but suicidally reckless wasn't one of them."

"I could always shoot you."

"Well you've only got one try, don't you? Did you really think you were going to trap me?"

John lowered the gun. "I don't want to trap you. I want to make a deal."

Yellow-eyes smiled. "Intriguing."

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"Dean, can you hear me in there?" asked Sam. The doctor had told him that his brother was in a semi-conscious state and could possibly hear everything going on around him.

His brother didn't respond.

"You can't leave me alone with Dad. You know we'll kill each other right? The baby…she needs you too. I can't take care of her like you can. You're more like a father to her than Dad is…you've got to fight this. You need to hold on. You can't go, not now….we were just starting to be brothers again."

Sam grabbed his brother's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Can you hear me?"

His question went unanswered.

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"It's very unseemly, making deals with devils. How do I know this is not a trick?"

"It's not a trick. I will give you the Colt and the bullet, but you've got to help my kids. You've got to bring them back."

"Why John, you're a sentimentalist. If only your kids knew how much their Daddy loved them."

"It's a good trade," said John. "You care a hell of a lot more about this gun than you do them."

"Don't be so sure. They killed some people very special to me. But still, you're right. Dean's not much of a threat anyway. Neither is your other son. You know about my plans for him don't you?"

"I've known for awhile."

"And still you play dumb."

"Can you bring my kids back? Yes or no?"

"How about yes and no?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can save your son, but your daughter, that's another story."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on John, don't be an idiot, demon power doesn't work on her. We can't kill her, so what makes you think we can bring her back. Besides, it's rather convenient for me really. If she's gone, she can't get in the way. It's a win-win for me."

John swallowed the lump in his throat. "You can save my boy?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes."

"Good. But before it's done, I'm going to want to make sure that Dean's going to be okay…with my own eyes."

"Oh, I'm so offended. Don't you trust me?"

John glared at him.

"Fine."

"So do we have a deal?"

"No, not yet…you still need to sweeten the pot."

"With what?"

"With something else I want as much as that gun…maybe more."

"What's that?"

"You."

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Sam sat at his brother's bedside, absentmindedly watching the monitors, when suddenly Dean sat up and began gagging and choking on his breathing tube.

"Dean!" yelled Sam, grabbing his brother's shoulders. Dean looked at him, his eyes wide and wild, with panic and confusion.

"Help! I need help in here!"


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"I can't explain it," said the doctor, shaking his head in disbelief. "All the scans show that your heart is completely fine. There's no sign that there was anything ever wrong with it. The contusions on your body have healed. Your vitals are back to normal. It's a miracle. You have some kind of angel looking out for you."

"Thanks doc," said Dean. He'd been poked and prodded for the last couple of hours, while the medical staff tried to figure out what had happened and how he had suddenly recovered. He didn't know either. He had a vague recollection of the accident and waking up at some point. Sam told him that he'd been near death and had even flatlined once.

"Where's Dad?" Dean asked.

"I went to go tell him the news, but he wasn't in his room. I have no idea where he went off too," lied Sam. He had a pretty good idea actually.

"Tell me about Laney," said Dean softly. "They wouldn't tell me anything." Which to him meant something was very, very wrong.

Sam's face fell. Dean was schooled in his brother's many expressions, and this one had pain, grief, and uncertainty written all over it.

"What is it Sammy? She's not – she's not…" He couldn't even get the word out. It was too impossible to imagine. His sister couldn't be dead.

"She's alive," Sam said quickly. "But it's bad. She took the brunt of the impact in the accident. She had some internal injuries and broken bones."

"What else aren't you telling me?"

"She has a serious head injury," continued Sam. "She has swelling of the brain and a skull fracture. She's in a coma and they don't know when…or if, she's going to wake up."

Dean's eyes watered with tears. He shook his head in disbelief. No way. Why did he make a sudden recovery and his sister was still in a bed, in a coma, fighting for her life? He didn't deserve it. He'd give anything to trade places.

"I want to see her." He had to see her with his own eyes.

"Okay," said Sam. He went to grab a wheelchair when his father appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Dean, how are you feeling?"

"I'm alive…I feel fine." He managed a small smile.

"That's all that matters," said John, smiling back.

"Where were you last night?" asked Sam, getting worked up at his father's sudden reappearance.

"I had some things to take care of."

"Well, that's specific," said Sam, sarcastically.

"Come on Sam," said Dean. This wasn't the time or the place.

"You were off looking for the demon, weren't you?" Sam asked angrily.

John sighed. "Sam – can we not fight? Half the time we're fighting and I don't even know what we're fighting about. We're just butting heads. I know I've made some mistakes, but I've always done the best I could. I just – I just don't want to fight anymore."

Sam's anger vanished instantly. Something was wrong. He narrowed his eyes. "Dad, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired," he smiled at his son. "Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee?"

"Sure, no problem, I'll be right back."

"Thanks."

John watched Sam walk out of the door with an expression of regret and sorrow so deeply etched on his face that Dean couldn't help but notice.

"What is it, Dad?" he asked. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't shake.

"You know when you were a kid, I'd come home from a hunt and after what I'd seen, I'd be wrecked. But you would come up to me and put your hand on my shoulder and look me in the eye and say, "It's okay Dad". Dean, I'm sorry for that. You shouldn't have had to say that to me. I should have been saying it to you. I put way too much on your shoulders. I made you grow up too fast. You took care of me, you took care of Sammy…you raised your sister from a baby…when you were just a kid yourself. You did all of that and you didn't complain. Not once. I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you."

"Is this really you talking?" asked Dean, confused. His father had always been a man of few words. Never once before had he praised him for much of anything.

"Yeah, it's really me," chuckled John.

"Why are you saying this stuff?"

"I want you to watch out for Sammy okay. And your sister, right now, more than ever is going to need you. She needs you – you and Sammy. Don't let her give up. You've done such an incredible job with her. Keep it up."

"Okay, Dad…you know I will…you're really scaring me."

John placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't be scared Dean." He leaned down to his son's ear and whispered. "You have to keep Delaney safe, no matter what it takes – and you have to save Sammy. If you can't save him... you might have to kill him."

Dean leaned back in shock, taken aback by his father's words. What the hell was he talking about?

John nodded an affirmation at his son. He studied him for a moment, tears running down his face and turned and walked out of the room, leaving his oldest son, stunned and terrified.

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Sam returned from the cafeteria with the coffee for his father. He turned the corner to his room, expecting to see him sitting there waiting for him. Instead, his heart slammed in his chest when he saw his father sprawled out on the floor next to the bed. He dropped the cup of coffee and began screaming for help. Within seconds nurses and doctors flooded into the room.

"Get the crash cart!"

"Please help him!" yelled Sam.

"Sir, please step out of the room. We need the space."

Sam was about to protest but instead ran for Dean's room.

Dean was already half way out of bed in his attempt to find his own way to his sister's room.

"Dean, it's Dad!"

"What, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, he collapsed…they're working on him."

Dean moved as swiftly as possible. He was stiff and sore, but able to walk. He leaned into Sam for support and they quickly returned to their father's room. John was now on the bed, hooked up to several monitors that were beeping in warning. The medical staff was attempting to resuscitate him.

"You guys need to leave the room!"

"No, no…he's our Dad," said Dean.

Sam and Dean watched helplessly as the medical team tried to revive their father, both of them wondering how it was even possible that he was in such a state. They'd been talking to him just a few minutes ago. He was walking and talking and supposed to be completely fine.

"Stop compressions," said the doctor. He waited for a moment. There was still no heartbeat. "That's it. I'm calling it; time of death 10:41 a.m."

"No," choked out Dean. "No."

"How doctor? How did this happen? Ten minutes ago he was fine!" shouted Sam. He wanted answers.

"Sudden cardiac arrest," said the doctor. "It may have been from the accident or it may not have been. I don't think there was anything we could have done different."

The medical team left the room, leaving the boys alone with their father.

"This isn't right," whispered Dean.

"What?" asked Sam, through his tears.

"I don't know. It's just wrong." Something was wrong. It had to be the demon. The demon must have gotten to him.

"He's gone, Dean. He's really gone," whispered Sam in disbelief.

Dean placed his arm around his brother's shoulder. They stood side by side looking over their father's body; alternating between shock and grief and confusion.

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"Dean, this is Rachel. She's Laney's nurse," said Sam, introducing the two. After their father's body had been taken down to the morgue Dean signed himself out against medical advice and demanded to be taken to his sister. No one else in his family was dying. Not on his watch.

"How's she doing?" asked Dean, not up for pleasantries.

Rachel didn't let his abruptness bother her. Talk of the Winchester family was making its rounds all through the hospital, from the young man's miraculous recovery to the father's sudden death, theories abounded. She ignored it. Whatever was going on, these boys were hurting and she was going to do what she could to make sure they didn't lose their sister too.

"Well, there isn't much change. But her vitals have stabilized which is good. She's still on the ventilator. They just brought her back from a brain scan and the neurologist should be in with results soon."

Dean nodded. "Thanks." He paused in front of the room door before entering. Sam had given him the rundown on what to expect.

Sam walked in first. When Dean entered he sucked in a deep breath. As much as they'd tried to prepare him, it still wasn't enough to temper the shock of seeing his baby sister lying in a hospital bed and clinging to life.

Approaching the bed, he blinked quickly to try and hold back the tears. She looked so tiny. It reminded him so much of when he would watch over her when she was a little girl afraid of the dark, all tiny and exposed. He would let her climb up into his bed and she would curl up next to him and put her little hands on his face and ask him to keep the monsters away. Sometimes he would just watch her sleep, fascinated by her and how he could love a person so much. He was amazed by how much she trusted him and everything he said. She had given him so much purpose in his life. His father always assumed that he'd been burdened with caring for his sister – raising her – but it wasn't true. She wasn't a burden. She was a blessing. It couldn't end like this. She was too young and had too damn much to offer the world.

He pulled up a chair next to her. Sam took the chair on the other side and studied his sister, looking for any discernible changes, but not finding any.

"Hey short round," said Dean, "When did you become such a drama queen?"

Sam smiled. This was what his sister needed. She needed Dean.

"Sammy and I are here with you – and you need to wake up – you're the brains of our operation. Without you, we can't function. Do you think I want to stare at Sammy's ugly mug all day?"

"Yeah baby, you can't leave me with alone with Dean. He smells and he's messy," joked Sam.

Dean leaned over and very carefully kissed his sister's cheek. It was swollen and purple, but it was one of the few spots that weren't covered in a bandage, IV's, or wires.

"What did they say about her broken bones?" asked Dean, as he studied her from head to toe.

"Her arm was broken in two places, clean breaks, so they'll heal fine without any surgery. But her leg was pretty badly wrecked and they had to use some rods and screws to get it back in one piece."

Dean shook his head. It wasn't fair. He'd gladly take all of her injuries on himself if he knew it meant she'd live. He'd do it in a heartbeat. He was sure his father would have too; if he were still alive.

Dean ordered himself to put it out of his head. The only thing he needed to be thinking about at the moment was getting his sister through this ordeal. He had to be there for Sammy too. He was the oldest and it was his job to protect them and care for them. He intended to live up to the promise he'd made to his father even if he didn't completely understand what it meant.

A knock at the door broke into his thoughts.

"Come in," said Sam.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Chung; I'm the neurologist on Miss Winchester's case."

"We're her brothers. I'm Sam, and this is Dean."

The doctor offered a curt nod in greeting. "We got the results back from your sister's latest brain scan."

Dean and Sam both took a deep breath.

"The good news is that the swelling has seemed to hit its peak and has diminished somewhat. It's not a dramatic change, but it's enough to convince me that surgery won't be necessary."

"That's great," said Sam, sighing in relief.

"What now?" asked Dean. He wasn't quite at ready to celebrate. His sister had a long road ahead of her.

"We'll keep aggressively treating the swelling and fluid with medication. But like we've said before, until she wakes up we won't know the extent of the brain damage, if any. She's still in a comatose state, but that is a way of the brain and body protecting itself and to be expected for now. We'll probably remove the ventilator in 24 hours if she continues to improve. "

"Thank you doctor," said Dean.

"No problem." Dr. Chung turned to walk out of the room, but stopped at the door and turned around. "You know, your sister has proven to be a remarkable young woman. She's doing far and away better than most patients I've seen with her injuries." He offered them a rare smile and left.

"Damn straight you're remarkable," Dean said in his sister's ear. "You're a Winchester after all."

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"Thanks Bobby, for everything," said Dean.

"You got it. Whatever else you need, you just let me know."

"You think you could sit with Laney while we handle this? I don't want her to be alone," said Dean.

"Of course," said Bobby.

After a long night sleeping in their sister's room, Dean and Sam decided that they really needed to deal with their father's remains. Bobby helped them retrieve the body from the morgue. Dean had insisted on salting and burning his body as John would have wanted. Bobby found an out of the way spot where they could take care of business without drawing unwanted attention.

Dean nodded in appreciation. He was grateful to have someone they trusted close by.

"Ready Sammy?" Dean shook his head. His brother had been staring intently at Laney's face for hours, looking for any change, any indication she was aware of what was going on – aware that her brothers were waiting impatiently for her to wake up.

"Yeah okay," answered Sam glancing up at his big brother.

Dean knew from his expression that he was anything but ready. But they had to do the job. They couldn't put it off regardless of how painful it was.

Sam kissed his sister's cheek. "See you in a little while sleeping beauty."

Dean walked over and kissed her too. His hand lingered on her face for a few moments. He kept hoping her eyes would just pop open.

"We'll be quick," Dean said to Bobby.

"Take your time."

Dean nodded, but he knew he'd be back as fast as possible. He wanted to be at Laney's bedside when she woke up.

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"The Colt is nowhere to be found," said Sam.

When they had claimed their father's possessions at the morgue, the Colt was not among his things, nor was there any indication of what he might have done with it.

"Maybe he hid it to keep it safe," offered Dean.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Look Sammy, we'll find it again, wherever it is, but we have a lot more important things to worry about right now."

"I know that," snapped Sam. He was irritated by the implication that he was more worried about the gun than his sister. That was not the case.

Dean sighed. "Let's just get this done, okay?"

Sam nodded.

Dean flicked his lighter and set the pyre with his father's body, on fire. He took a step back towards his little brother and out of the way of the flames. The whole experience was surreal. He couldn't believe he was gone; his father, his hero, being reduced to a pile of ashes.

Sam felt as though he'd be swallowed up by regret. The last time he'd seen his father he'd tried to pick a fight. And that would be forever etched in his mind.

They watched until the flames completely died out and there was nothing left put a smoldering pile of embers and ash.

"We should get back," said Dean. He was anxious being away from Laney, especially knowing that the yellow-eyed demon was still out there somewhere. He knew Bobby would have called if there was anything to worry about but the sooner he was back with her the better he would feel.

"Yeah," said Sam. His thoughts were echoing his brother's. He needed to be with his little sister.

They climbed back into their borrowed car and headed back towards the hospital.

"How are we going to tell Laney about Dad?" asked Sam.

"We're going to wait, until the time is right."

"She's going to take it hard."

"We're all taking it hard."

"I know, Dean. I just mean, you know how she blames herself for everything. This won't be any different. And the last time she saw Dad…possessed. And what the demon said about her being given up…which isn't even true."

Sam looked over at his brother and saw a strange expression cross his face. His eyes widened in shock.

"Wait a minute; tell me it's not true, that's not possible. I don't remember that," stammered Sam.

Dean sighed and stared out at the road. "When she was four months old…you know, Dad was having a really hard time dealing with a newborn and grieving for Mom…he was overwhelmed. He spent a lot of time at the bar drowning his sorrows in Jack… One night the baby got really sick. You were asleep already, but I was up with her and she was struggling to breath. I couldn't reach Dad. I had to run to the neighbor's house and to get help…they had to call an ambulance." He paused, shaking the memory out his head. "Anyway, she had pneumonia and nearly died."

Realization dawned on Sam. "I remember you told me she was in the hospital and really sick, but we weren't allowed to visit her."

"She was there for a few Protective Services were called in because we had been left alone without an adult. They threatened to take us away from Dad. Instead the social worker convinced Dad that taking care of Laney was too much and she might be better off with a more suitable family, whatever that means," scoffed Dean.

Her own family was her suitable family. Screw what they thought. His family was unconventional, but they all loved each other deeply.

"Anyway, they placed her with a family in town. After a couple of weeks though Dad couldn't take it, he missed her too much. I heard him cry himself to sleep every night she was gone."

Dean's eyes watered at the memory. He remembered crying himself to sleep as well.

"I begged Dad to get her back, I promised him that I would take care of her and he wouldn't have to worry…I don't know the details of how, but he got her back and we shagged ass out of Lawrence and never went back."

"I never knew that. I just thought she was in the hospital that whole time," said Sam in disbelief.

"You were still so young."

"So were you."

Dean shook his head. "Yeah, anyway. We do have to tell her about it."

"What if she doesn't believe you?"

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it." _First, she needs to wake up._

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"Hey kiddo," said Dean. "When you wake up, we're going to go out and get you this shiniest, fanciest laptop you could ever dream of. You'll be the envy of all the geeks."

"Resorting to bribery," joked Sam.

"Whatever works," said Dean.

His attention turned towards the door as the nurse, Rachel walked in with a cart of equipment.

"Hey Rachel," said Sam.

"Hey there guys."

"What's all that?" asked Dean, studying the cart suspiciously.

"I need to change out her bandages and check her incisions. An infection would be deadly at this stage."

"Oh, okay. Should we leave?" asked Dean.

"Nope, you guys can stick around and watch. You can learn how to do it yourselves."

"Will we need to?" asked Sam.

"Of course," she said, cheerfully. "She's going to wake up soon, but these wounds are going to need care for a few weeks until they heal completely."

Rachel had learned that one of the best ways to help family cope with their loved ones injuries was to involve them in some way or another in the healing process. It made them feel a little less powerless. It gave them a purpose and a direction.

"So gather around," she said.

Rachel arranged Laney's gown and blanket to protect her modesty. When she woke up she would be mortified if she thought her brothers had been seeing her naked.

"I'll remove the dressing very carefully."

When she pulled the dressing away, both Sam and Dean winced. It was a very thick horizontal incision across her stomach. There were more staples than they could count holding it together. It was going to be a nasty scar.

Rachel grabbed the bottle of antiseptic and cleaned around the wound carefully.

"It's looking good," she said, "No sign of infection and it's not draining anymore, so that means it's starting to heal."

She grabbed fresh gauze and tape to dress the wound again. She pressed the gauze and tape down. Sam jumped.

"What?" asked Dean, noticing his brother's reaction.

"I don't know, but I could have sworn I saw Laney flinch when she pushed down on the wound."

Dean looked up at his sister's face skeptically. Sam was probably just seeing things.

"I'll apply some more pressure and we'll see," said Rachel. She was skeptical. In her experience, loved ones were always trying to see things that weren't happening. So any little innocuous thing was a sign of something.

She pressed down and they all watched Laney's face. And there it was; an almost imperceptible flinch of her eyes. She pressed again just to be sure and once again got the same reaction.

Dean looked from his sister to the nurse.

"You're right," she said, "I think she felt that."

"That's good right?" asked Dean, restraining the excitement from his voice.

"Very good… I'm going to go call her doctor and have him examine her."

"Okay," said Sam.

Rachel quickly finished getting Laney resettled before leaving the room.

Sam looked at his brother with a goofy grin. Dean couldn't help but smile back.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"She's definitely responding to painful stimuli," said Dr. Chung after thoroughly examining Laney.

"That's a good sign right?" asked Dean.

"It's a good sign that she's regaining some sort of consciousness."

"So she's coming out of the coma?" asked Sam.

"Well, you have to understand that it's not like the movies where the patient just wakes up and starts walking and talking like they just woke up from a nap. It's much more complicated than that."

"Explain it to us," said Dean, impatiently. He had an overwhelming need to know every detail in the process of his sister's eventual recovery – and recover she would if he had anything to do with it.

"This will happen in stages. She's reacting to pain now. Eventually we want to see response to voices and regular touch. As she comes out of it, she may only be awake for a few minutes at a time and that can last for several days. She will be profoundly confused and probably won't have any memory of the accident or events leading to it. She may not be able to speak. There are a lot of maybes involved as I said before we don't know the degree of damage. It's completely possible that this is it for her and this may be as far as she recovers."

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat. His excitement at the recent development was tempered with the news that his sister could very possibly wake up a different person that she was before the accident or be a complete vegetable.

"It doesn't sound like you know much doc. It's possible this – it's possible that – is there anything you know for sure?" asked Dean, angrily. He was getting tired of the unknown.

"Dean," admonished Sam. He could feel his brother was on the verge of meltdown.

"Sorry," said the doctor, "But this is how brain injuries are."

"But she's a genius," said Sam, grasping at straws.

Dr. Chung looked doubtful.

"Really," said Sam, when he noticed the doctor's expression, "She's a bona fide genius. She's a freshman at MIT. She started there at 16. She builds computers from scratch. She has an almost photographic memory."

Dr. Chung's brow furrowed. "I'm not going to deny that your sister has made much more progress than I would have expected. It's encouraging. But you have to be prepared for the possibility that those days are over. She's never going to be the same. I don't just mean the brain injury. I'm talking about her broken bones as well. She'll never be 100% again."

 _Screw you Doc,_ thought Dean. He didn't know the great Delaney Winchester. He had no idea what he was talking about. His sister was going to recover and she was going to be just fine. She had to be. The alternative was freaking unacceptable.

When the doctor noticed the stricken look on their faces he decided to throw them a bone of hope. "Your sister's vitals have stabilized enough that we are going to go ahead and remove the ventilator and give her a shot at breathing on her own."

"Okay, thanks," said Sam softly, as he returned to his sister's side and grabbed her good hand.

The doctor nodded and left the room. Sam and Dean looked at each other at a loss of what to say. It had been hard to imagine their sister dying. Now that it looked like she was going to be living, they were suddenly worried about what kind of life she was going to have. Was she going to be disabled? A vegetable? Would she ever be the Laney they once knew?

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"Come on little sister," urged Dean, "It's been five days since you gave us a sign that you were in there. Wake up…yell at me, lecture me, mock me…anything…you have to give us something more." She had to, this couldn't be it.

It had been five freaking days of unimaginable torture. If there was a Hell on Earth, then this was certainly it.

They barely ever left her side. They'd been watching her as if through a microscope. Except for what the nurses and doctors had called involuntary muscle spasms, she hadn't shown any more signs of waking up. She only responded to painful stimuli half the time despite the fact the doctors had all said that amazingly the swelling and fluid in her brain were nearly gone.

"I hate this," said Sam, standing up to pace the room. They'd had been cooped up in Laney's tiny hospital room for the last week. He was beginning to feel like a caged animal. They spent so much of their lives running from one hunt to another with barely a break that it was hard to sit in one place. Even though it hadn't been that long ago that Sam had been living the college life; it felt like a lifetime ago. He hardly thought of it anymore. With his father gone, he wasn't sure he could ever leave Dean or his sister again. It seemed hunting was his destiny no matter how much he'd tried to deny it.

"We have to keep trying to get to her," said Dean, breaking into his brother's thoughts.

"What if she never wakes up?" asked Sam with a frustrated sigh.

"Don't you friggin' say that! Are you giving up on her already? It's only been a week."

"What? No! I'm not giving up on her. I'm just saying we have to face reality here. We have to think about what we're going to do. We can't pretend that everything is just going to be sunshine and roses." He couldn't imagine her in this state forever. It's not what she would have wanted in a million years – hooked up to machines and getting fed through tubes.

"You are going to shut up about her never waking up again or I'll shut you up myself," said Dean, jumping up from his chair and stomping angrily over to his brother. Enough was enough.

"Really? I'd like to see you try. Why don't we just duke it out right here? We can fight about who loves her more!"

"I'll give you the first –"

"What?" asked Sam when Dean broke off mid-sentence.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"Listen."

Sam's eyes widened. They both approached Laney's bed. Sam grabbed her free hand and Dean put his hand to her face and turned it towards him. She had moaned. He heard it loud and clear.

"Hey little sister – we heard you, come on let's hear it again," cooed Dean, softly.

Laney moaned again as her eyelids began to flutter. "Yes! That's it baby!" exclaimed Sam, as he exchanged a smile with his brother, all previous anger and tension forgotten.

Laney's eyes fluttered for several moments before they opened.

"Hey shrimp, you did it," said Dean, overjoyed at the sight of her beautiful golden-brown eyes. "If I had known Sammy and I fighting would bring you out of it, I would have picked a fight days ago."

"Hey baby," said Sam.

She didn't respond by turning towards him as he expected. He felt a sudden knot forming in his stomach. He exchanged a nervous look with his brother.

"Laney sweetheart, can you hear me?" asked Dean, speaking directly into her ear.

Dean frowned and looked worriedly over at Sam. She wasn't responding to him at all. Her eyes were wide open, but she didn't turn to look at Sam when he spoke to her. He moved in and out of her line of sight and noticed that her eyes did not follow him. She appeared to be staring at nothing.

"Can you squeeze my hand?" asked Dean, trying not to freak out when there was no response.

"Sam, go get the nurse," said Dean, with a tinge of panic in his voice.

Sam hesitated a moment before he turned on his heels and left the room in a hurry.

"Laney, baby, can you look at me, please?" asked Dean. He moved to the left, out of her line of sight.

Her eyes rolled around in her head before coming to rest on his face again. It wasn't much – it might have been nothing – but he'd take it.

"That's a good girl. That's good," smiled Dean. She was in there all right he could feel it. Something was wrong. But she was trying.

"Hey, I hear that someone opened their eyes," said Rachel in a cheery voice, as she approached Dean's side, "Hi there Laney, I'm Rachel, your nurse. I've been waiting for a week to see those beautiful eyes your brothers have been going on and on about. They weren't lying." She smiled brightly.

"Rachel, she's not responding to us," said Sam, his eyes crinkled with worry.

"I'm pretty sure she tried to follow me with her eyes when I asked. Do you know what's going on?" asked Dean.

"She may very well be able to understand you both, but she's not able to respond."

"Why? Why would that happen?" asked Sam.

"She was in a coma and there is bound to be some neurological deficit. We also gave her some very strong and powerful medications that have a paralytic effect on the body. It's a way of minimizing mobility to keep her from further injuring herself. It will wear off soon and then we'll have a better idea of where she is."

"Or it could be a result of the brain injury," added Sam quietly.

Dean set his mouth in a hard line. His little brother – always the pessimist.

"That's always a possibility too," admitted Rachel.

There was a quick knock at the door before the doctor walked in.

"Dr. Chung, she woke up about five minutes ago. No response to verbal commands."

Dr. Chung walked over to Laney and put his hand on her chin. He pulled out a pen light and shined it in her eyes.

"Pupils are dilating and reacting. A little sluggish, but not unexpected…Miss Winchester, can you give me a sign that you can hear me? Follow the light with your eyes," he said as he moved the light from side to side. He frowned when he got no response.

"Miss Winchester, you were in a car accident. You suffered some internal injuries and broken bones. You took a pretty serious blow to the head."

Laney's monitors started to beep wildly – her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"What's wrong?" asked Dean, eyes darting from his sister to the doctor and back to the monitors.

"Her heart rate and respiration are up. She's agitated. I think she understands what I'm saying. She's upset, probably confused."

Dr. Chung turned to Rachel. "Let's push 5 milligrams of Ativan to calm her down."

Rachel nodded and left the room to get the medication.

"Laney, baby," said Dean, pushing past the doctor to take his sister's hand. "Don't cry kiddo?"

Dean's eyes started tearing up. Tears were streaming down his sister's face and he didn't know why and she didn't seem able to tell them.

"Are you in pain?" asked Sam making his way to stand next to his brother.

"Doc? Is she in pain?" asked Dean. If she was in pain he wanted it taken care of now.

"Probably, I'll order some more pain meds. But I don't want to give her too much because they will sedate her and we really want to start working on keeping her conscious for longer periods of time. We'll monitor her and maybe when she wakes up next time we'll see some improvement. The orthopedic surgeon will also be by to evaluate her leg and see if further surgery is required."

Sam and Dean tensed up when they noticed Laney's heart rate speeding up again.

"Hey baby – you need to calm down okay? Sammy and I are right here and we're not going anywhere. We'll be here when you wake up. We promise. It's okay," soothed Dean.

He looked right into her eyes as he caressed her cheek softly with his fingers, and after a few seconds her heart rate and respiration began to slow down.

"That's a good girl," said Dean, looking over at his brother. He took it as another sign that she was in there somewhere, fighting to get out.

"Good job baby," added Sam with a smile, kissing her hand.

Rachel walked in with a syringe and two vials of medication.

"Okay honey, I've got some medicine to help you," she said as she injected the meds directly into her IV. "The first one is to help you calm down and second one is to take the edge off any pain you're feeling."

Laney's eyelids almost immediately began to droop. She seemed to be fighting it. A fresh trail of tears slid down her face.

Dean leaned down face to face with her. "You go ahead and close your eyes and relax baby. It's okay," he cooed.

After a few seconds her eyes shut and stayed shut.

"Her vitals are back to normal," said Rachel.

Dean nodded at the nurse and pulled the chair back to his sister's side. He leaned his head on the pillow next to his sister's ear and whispered soothing words of comfort. He promised her everything was going to be okay. It was a promise he intended to keep.

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"It must be terrifying," said Sam.

"Huh?" asked Dean, lost in thought.

"If she could really hear us and understand what we were saying. Being trapped in her mind and body like that and not being able to say anything." Sam shivered.

"She'll be fine when she wakes up. You watch."

"What if she doesn't get any better Dean? What if this is the best we get and she's stuck like that forever?"

"Sammy, I don't understand this worst case thinking of yours. You sound like the doctors."

"I'm trying to be a realistic," he said softly. "Look what happened to Dad. We thought he was okay and then …" Sam's voice trailed off. He hadn't had a moment's thought that his father would possibly die. He'd been walking and talking and arguing with him one minute – and the next he was gone – like the snap of a finger. He couldn't help but feel afraid the same thing would happen to his sister.

It suddenly clicked in Dean's brain. He knew what his brother was thinking.

"She not Dad – and besides – I think yellow-eyes probably had something to do with his death."

Sam's head snapped up. "How do you know that?"

"Just a feeling," lied Dean.

He'd spent the long hours of his sister's bedside vigil mulling over his father's last words to him – his direction to save Laney and Sam – that he might have to kill his little brother. He didn't know what prompted that. But he knew it wasn't good. Sam was one of the special children and Dean still didn't know what that meant. But whatever it was, it was bad enough that his father had actually suggested killing him. It made no sense. Add to that, his miraculous recovery and he knew something otherworldly was going on. Too many pieces of the puzzle fit. Only he didn't know what the whole puzzle was.

"You really think so?" asked Sam.

"Yeah – I mean one second he's fine and the next he's gone – and the Colt disappearing – it seems a little too freaking coincidental."

Sam sighed and ran his hands through his overgrown hair. "Bobby's been trying to track the demon, but he says everything has suddenly gone quiet."

"Calm before the storm maybe – he's probably laying low. It's not exactly a secret where to find us."

"That's true."

"And as long as Laney's here, we're not hunting anything."

"But –"

"But nothing Sam," interrupted Dean. "Laney needs us – the both of us – to get back on her feet again. We can't spend one second hunting this thing until we have her back in one piece again."

"I know," said Sam. They couldn't pull a move their father would have done. He would have left his daughter in that hospital bed in the name of vengeance. The baby deserved better and she was going to need both of them to recover. This was his chance to prove to himself that he wasn't like his father – vengeance above all else. Unlike his father, he was going to put his family first.

"Good. Then we're not going to waste another breath talking about that yellow-eyed bastard."

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"Hi, I'm Cheryl Wiseman. I'm the social worker assigned to Delaney's case."

"Social worker?" asked Dean. Who the hell does the lady think she is? She had barged into the room without a knock, acting like she owned the pace.

"Yes, the social worker," she said in clipped tones, "It took me awhile to get to you. I'm a little overloaded with cases."

"Cases?" asked Sam, confused.

"What are you here for lady?"asked Dean, never one to stand on ceremony.

"You must be Dean Winchester," she said pointedly.

She'd heard a lot about the Winchesters over the last week; most of it regarding the abrasive young man who was addressing her now. Word was the boys were fiercely protective of their sister and suspicious of everyone. She was prepared for them to make her job harder.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "I am."

"What can we help you with?" asked Sam.

The social worker noticed that the two men had taken up almost defensive positions around their sister's bed. _Damn, rumors are actually true._

"Well, as you are well aware, your sister is a minor and we received a report that both of your parents are deceased. I'm here to find out if your father had a Last Will and Testament pertaining to her custody in the event of his death."

"Why do you need to know?" asked Dean, gruffly.

"Well, if custody hasn't being designated then it becomes a state matter. We decide who guardianship will go to. It's specifically important in regards to her medical treatment."

"I'm her guardian," said Dean becoming more and more agitated.

"Can you back that up with legal documents?"

"Yes, I can."

"Really?" she asked with a snort.

"Absolutely, my father left a will naming myself as her legal guardian."

"I'm going to need to see that paperwork ASAP. If I don't see it in 24 hours I'm going to have to begin court proceedings to designate a medical guardianship."

"The hell you are!" exclaimed Dean.

"Dean, calm down," said Sam, stepping closer to his brother in case he decided to break his rule about hitting women.

"Listen," said the social worker, as she addressed Sam, since he seemed to be the more sensible brother, "You two are pretty young yourselves and there seems to be a lot of questions surrounding your family's circumstances. My job is to make sure that the decisions made are in Delaney's best interests."

"Are you implying we're not making the best decisions for our sister – who I raised by the way!" exclaimed Dean, his voice going up a notch.

"I can't get into what information I have, it's confidential. If I get the necessary documentation from you and I think you are suitable, I'll close the case – until then my file on your sister will remain open."

With that the woman walked out turned on her heels and walked out.

Dean kicked the wall in frustration, taking out a small chunk of drywall. What was it with people trying to take his sister away? Why couldn't they be left in alone and in peace?

"If it's not one thing, it's another," said Sam, shaking his head.

"No shit."

"Is that true? About Dad's will?"

The look Dean gave his brother answered the question. "You really think Dad had a will?"

"So what are we going to do? We only have 24 hours."

"Well normally I'd ask Laney to forge all the documents. She's the best at it," said Dean. "I guess we have no choice but to settle for second best. Who would that be?"

"Gavin Cole," answered Sam.

Dean growled and kicked the wall again.

"Sorry, I know, not what you wanted to hear."

Dean heaved a heavy sigh. "You're right though."

Sam raised an eyebrow surprised his brother didn't try to think of someone else. Dean's distaste for Gavin was deep and unending, like a bottomless pit. It was testament to the lengths his brother would go to keep his family whole.

"I'll call him," said Sam, casting his brother an apologetic look.

"Whatever," grumbled Dean. He straightened out the chair he'd been sitting in and took his sister's hand again, this time more for his comfort than hers.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Thanks for the continued reviews. I really appreciate them! I will be publishing another WeeLaney one-shot tomorrow (Sunday). Make sure you are following me as an author so you don't miss it. Thanks again!**

Chapter 27

"So what's the word?" asked Dean, grumpily.

"He says it's not a problem. It's going to be cutting it close but he'll be here," responded Sam.

"He's coming here?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to be here in case something went wrong."

"I'm sure," said Dean sarcastically.

"Cut him a break Dean. He was really upset when he heard what happened to Laney."

"Don't care. Don't like the guy," snapped Dean.

"No kidding man, I couldn't tell. Whatever happened between you two anyway?"

"Nothing, I just don't like the guy."

Sam pursed his lips. _Liar._

"Anyway, I don't think there will be any problems. I got in touch with a contact I have at the County Clerk's office back in Lawrence. They are going to help establish a paper trail in case this lady decides to dig deeper," said Sam.

"She'd better not. She may not be a ghost but I'm not above salting and burning her ass."

"Violence is not the answer to everything."

"Whatever Gandhi."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother.

Dean glanced at his watch. It was late evening. Laney had been out for several hours. He hoped and dreaded that she would wake up soon. As much as he wanted to see her, he was afraid of what state she'd be in. He didn't think he could handle it if she was still out of it.

"I'm starving," said Sam, with a yawn.

"I could eat something," said Dean. He'd been trying to ignore his growling stomach in his reluctance to leave his sister.

"It's your turn," said Sam. "And no vending machine crap this time."

Dean glared at his brother for a moment. "Fine. But I'm just going to the diner across the street, call me if – "

"If she wakes up – I know."

Dean stood up from the chair stretching his arms and legs; he'd been sitting in that chair too damn long. The walk would probably do him good.

Sam got up to take the seat on his sister's good side.

Just before he reached the room door Dean turned on his heels and walked back over to the bed and placed a kiss on his sister's check. "Be back in a few, shrimp," he whispered.

Sam grabbed Laney's good hand and held it in his own.

Once his brother was out the door he breathed out a dramatic sigh.

"Finally, I thought he'd never leave. He's been hogging you up all day."

Sam smiled at his sister and pushed her hair out of her face. She looked more like herself. The grotesque swelling was nearly gone. Her face was mottled in different shades of yellow and purple bruising. But they were faded. In another couple of weeks you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at her face that she'd been in a horrible accident.

He frowned at how much thinner she seemed in such a short time. She'd lost weight after she'd gone off to school and now being fed through a tube wasn't doing much to help her.

"We gotta put some meat on those bones baby," he said, flicking the tip of her nose.

Laney moved her head into the touch. Startled, Sam pulled his hand back.

Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before they opened. This time instead of a glazed faraway look like before, she turned her eyes right towards her brother.

 _Sammy_ , thought Laney.

"Hey, kiddo, are you with me?"

"S-s-s-am," she croaked out with a stutter. She was surprised her voice was working. She had a vague memory of waking up earlier and being trapped in her own body. She couldn't be sure if it had actually happened.

Sam's heart thumped wildly in his chest. Never in his life had he heard a sound so sweet. He couldn't believe she was speaking – really speaking.

"It's me baby. Are you okay?"

She nodded slightly, wincing in discomfort. _Okay, that seriously hurt._

"Are you in pain?"

"S'okay," she said. He had such a worried look on his face. She wanted to put him at ease.

Laney attempted to move her right arm, surprised when it felt abnormally heavy. She glanced down to see it in a cast from her hand to just below her elbow. _Huh._

She gave her left arm a try and found that it felt heavy, despite it being cast free. She could only manage to poke her finger up and point. "Your f-f-f-ace. You okay?"

Sam touched his hand to his face. He'd forgotten about the faded bruises and cut over his eye from the accident.

"It's nothing baby, I'm good," he said with a huge smile.

She smiled faintly. Which was an obvious effort. "Good."

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired," said Laney. Although she had the distinct feeling she'd been out for a really long time. She felt tired to the bone and her entire body felt like it was weighed down by a building. She looked around taking in her surroundings. Obviously she was in the hospital, something bad had happened. Again she felt the memory of faint recognition.

"Car accident?" she asked softly as the realization came to her.

Sam shifted nervously in his chair. He wasn't sure how much to tell her, how much she remembered or how much she could handle.

"Yeah."

Laney watched a myriad of emotions play across his face. _It must have been pretty bad._

Suddenly panic flared in her gut when she realized that Dean was not in the room with them. _Oh my God!_

Sam noticed her breath hitch.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly

"D-d-d-dean? Where is he?" she managed to choke out.

"It's okay – it's fine – he's okay," he soothed. "Calm down honey, he just out went to get some food. I'll call him right now."

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Dean didn't bother to check out the menu. He placed his order quickly and told the waitress he was in a rush and to put a move on it. He threw in his famous smile and a wink for extra measure. He wanted to get his ass back to the hospital. It was only a quick two minute walk away, but it was two minutes too far for his taste. He had a hard time relaxing when he wasn't next to his sister.

His eyes drifted around the diner, studying the patrons and the activity. This was the kind of place his sister would have liked. She was a diner kind of girl.

An unexpected tear sprang to his eye. Would she ever sit in diner and eat her favorite waffles again? Would she ever laugh and joke and torment and tease him? He couldn't imagine his life without her in it. He wanted her whole and happy. He wanted her by his side.

The phone in his pocket vibrated. He freaked when he pulled it out and saw Sam's name on the caller ID.

"Sammy, what's wrong?"

 _"_ _Why does something have to be wrong?"_

"Cut the crap Sam, what do you want?"

 _"_ _Well, I don't want anything. But your sister just woke up and would like to have a few words with you."_

A goofy grin spread across his face. She's awake and asking for him?

 _"_ I'm on my way."

He was about to leave without his food when the hostess came out with his bag.

"Here you go sir."

"Thanks," he said, grabbing the bag and fairly skipping out of the diner.

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"What happened?" asked Laney, her voice in a whisper.

Her throat felt horribly scratchy and sore.

"You want some water?" asked Sam, ignoring her question.

She nodded her head yes.

"You know, I should make sure it's okay. Let me call the nurse."

Sam hit the nurse call button.

In less than 30 seconds the nurse appeared at the door. Sam was disappointed to see that it wasn't Rachel.

"Can I help you?"

"My sister is awake and thirsty. Can she have something?"

The nurse's eyebrows raised in surprise. "She's talking?"

Sam smiled brightly. "She sure is."

"Where's Dad?" blurted Laney. She noticed his absence. Although that was not unusual, she just thought, if she'd been that bad off, he would've have been around.

Sam looked away nervously, fidgeting with Laney's blanket.

The nurse approached the bed. "Delaney, I'm going to call the doctor to come evaluate you. I can't give you water yet, but your brother can feed you some ice chips."

"Okay."

The nurse passed by Dean as he rushed in the door.

"D-d-dean," said Laney, happy to see her big brother and flashing as much of a smile as she could. Everything felt weird.

"You look terrible," she rasped out.

Dean practically jumped for joy at her voice as he rushed the bed.

"Laney," he said, heavy relief lacing his voice.

He exchanged a quick smile with his brother and walked around the bed to hug his sister. When he pulled away she noticed his eyes were suspiciously wet. _Wow, big bad Dean is crying._

"I'm so glad to hear your voice," he said gruffly, as he wiped away a tear.

The nurse returned to room with a cup and spoon, handing it to Sam.

"Ice chips and nothing else until the doctor sees you, okay?"

Dean grabbed the cup and spoon from Sam's hand to feed his sister. "I got this."

He scooped a spoonful of ice and put it to his sister's mouth. "Just like old times," he chuckled, remembering when he used to feed her as a baby.

Laney welcomed the much needed moisture. Her mouth felt like it was stuffed in cotton balls. She waited a few moments for the ice to dissolve before she spoke again.

"Someone want to t-t-ell me what happened?" she asked barely above a whisper. "W-w-where's Dad?"

Laney knew instantly by the look that passed between her two brothers that her father was dead. She felt her heart do a little flip-flop in her chest. But she didn't cry. On some level she'd already known.

"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Dean.

Sam walked around the bed to the other side. He sat down on the edge careful to avoid her heavily casted leg, but close enough to provide comfort.

"I remember Meg – the exorcism – yellow eyes – you were hurt badly," she said looking at Dean and recalling the injuries inflicted at the cabin by the yellow-eyed demon.

Dean nodded. "You and I were in the backseat of the Impala. Sammy was driving and Dad was in the passenger seat. We got t-boned by a semi-truck."

"You guys are okay though?" asked Laney, confused. If they had gotten t-boned by a semi, it stood to reason they would all have been seriously hurt.

"You got the worst of it kiddo," replied Dean.

"Dad's dead," she said as a statement and not a question.

Dean looked down at the floor, swallowing hard. Laney felt her heart breaking at the look on his face. He looked like a lost little boy. She glanced at Sam who was trying to hold back his tears.

"Yeah," said Sam. "He's gone. He seemed to come out of the accident okay. He was walking and talking- but a day later – heart attack."

Of all the ways she expected to lose her father over the years – that was not one of them. She always imagined him being taken out but a big bad monster or something – never a heart attack – it didn't seem fitting.

"How l-l-long have I been out?" she asked, pushing aside the news of her father's death.

Dean and Sam looked at each other worriedly. She acted as if Sam had merely commented on the weather – not that their father was dead. Dean didn't want to push it. They had to let her deal in her own way. She had a long and difficult recovery ahead of her.

"Eight days," answered Dean.

"Eight days," she whispered breathlessly. Dean grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly.

"You were in a coma, kiddo," said Dean.

"Coma," whispered Laney to herself.

Before Dean could elaborate, Dr. Chung entered the room.

"Delaney," he said, "I'm Dr. Chung, your neurologist."

"So, what's wrong with me, wrong with my brain?" asked Laney. The longer she was awake the clearer her speech and thoughts seemed to become.

Dr. Chung nearly dropped Laney's chart, startled by his patient's voice.

Dean flashed the doctor a self-satisfied I-told-you-so grin. Sam had to bite back a chuckle.

Laney looked at all three wondering what she missed.

"Follow the light," Dr. Chung asked, pulling out his pen light and approaching Laney.

She followed the light back and forth and followed the doctor's instructions appropriately.

"Do you remember the accident?" he asked.

"No." She had zero memory of the accident.

He proceeded to ask what year it was, who was the president, when was her birthday, etc. Laney was growing bored and annoyed with his questions. It was like he was waiting for her to mess up. Her brain was perfectly fine. _What the hell!_

"This is very promising. Amazing actually," said the doctor, finally. He'd exhausted every test he could think of.

Dean flashed another shit-eating grin.

"Why do you say that?" asked Laney, confused.

"You suffered a serious traumatic brain injury. There was significant swelling of your brain. I've never seen a case where a patient recovered so quickly and didn't suffer some sort of neurological deficit," he said, with a shake of his head.

"So you don't think there's any brain damage?" Sam asked.

"Well, language and reflexes are intact – you two would be a better judge at this point. Damage could manifest itself in may ways, possibly when it comes to learning new information or retention of previous information. I can't make a call on that yet. It's too soon. We'll do a more comprehensive assessment of her cognitive functions soon."

Dean smiled, "Are you kidding? This kid's the braniac – nothing is going to keep her down."

"I don't feel any different – mentally – that is," said Laney quietly. _Would I even know? I mean how can I know if I don't know something if I can't remember knowing it! Aargh!_

She felt herself growing frustrated.

"I'll see you again on my regular rounds tomorrow, okay?"

Laney nodded.

"Thanks doc," said Sam.

"My pleasure," he said. He didn't think that he'd had much to do with his patient's recovery, but he was glad nonetheless to have a seemingly happy ending.

When the doctor left the room Laney looked Dean in the eye.

"Do I seem different? Be honest," she pleaded just above a whisper.

Dean gave her a comforting smile. "You seem like the same old pain in the ass sister I remember. I promise to tell you if you sprout a third eye and start speaking in tongues."

Laney smiled, wincing at the pain. Which reminded her.

"What about these casts?" she asked. Her right arm was in a cast, which was not a big deal – seriously inconvenient – but not an issue. It was her leg that concerned her. The cast ran from her upper thigh all the way to the tips of her toes, not to mention, the leg was throbbing like crazy.

"Your arm was a clean break. The orthopedic surgeon said you'll have to wear the cast for about 6 weeks before it comes off," said Sam.

She noticed his hesitation.

"But my leg is a lot worse," she said. It wasn't a hard leap to make.

"Yeah baby," said Sam.

Dean leaned over his sister's and looked directly into her eyes. "You're alive sweetheart – the rest – is just details."

 _Huh, easy for you to say,_ thought Laney, grumpily.

Laney gave Sam a pleading look. She needed to know those details.

Sam sighed. "Well, your leg was pretty badly broken. They had to surgically insert a rod and some screws to get it back in one piece. It's going to be awhile before you're back on your feet kiddo."

Laney took a deep breath. Okay, she could deal with that. Things might be on hold, but it was a few months at worst.

"What else?" she asked.

Dean rolled his eyes upward. He could really live without the rundown of his sister's injuries yet again. She was awake, she was alive, and she was going to be okay. It was enough for him. But of course, his OCD sister needs to know it all.

"You have some broken ribs. You had a collapsed lung and they had to remove your spleen. The doctors said you shouldn't have any complications with any of that," replied Sam.

"Exactly," added Dean, "So let's not cry over spilled milk."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother.

Laney chewed on her bottom lip. She hadn't been in much pain when she first awakened. But hearing the inventory of her injuries suddenly made her very aware of every ache, pain and throb in her body. She also felt unbelievably tired. She would have thought after eight days unconscious that she'd had all the sleep she needed. It wasn't like before when she would have killed for sleep.

"Hey," said Laney, thoughtfully, "Do you think my brain healed itself so quickly because of my…my abilities?"

Dean raised an eyebrow and looked at Sam. This was more his department.

"Makes sense," said Sam. "Anything is possible I guess." It's not like anybody really knew what they were dealing with.

"How is that anyway? You feeling anything strange?" asked Dean.

Laney thought for a moment. She didn't really feel much of anything happening. Mental walls, blocks, she wasn't sure.

"I don't think so. My internal EMF isn't going off or anything."

Dean watched her thoughtfully. "Let us know if that…uh…becomes a problem or something."

Laney nodded.

"How are you feeling now?" asked Sam.

"Sticky and gross," she answered.

Her brothers laughed. Laney was always a stickler about personal hygiene.

Laney smiled widely, a movement that made her gasp in pain.

Dean was up in her face again, hovering over her. "What's wrong?"

"It's okay. Hurts to laugh."

Her brothers looked at her doubtfully.

"It's not horrible. I'm really tired though – you guys look like you can use some sleep too."

They both had dark circles under their eyes. Sam's hair was a scruffy mess and didn't look like it had a proper wash in days. It reminded her of her father when he came back after a long hunt – rode hard and put up wet. She quickly swallowed a lump in her throat. Her father was gone – he wouldn't be coming back from anymore hunts – but yet she couldn't bring herself to grieve for him. She still didn't cry.

Dean watched a gamut of emotions playing across his sister's face. He knew his sister well enough to know that she was doing what she always did – compartmentalizing everything – instead of dealing with it. And like always, eventually, she'd blow in some way.

"These chairs aren't all that comfortable," admitted Sam.

"Yeah and they don't have magic fingers," said Dean with a grin.

Sam rolled his eyes, but smiled on the inside. It was good to have his brother sounding more like himself.

"You guys have been staying in this room the whole time? You need to take care of yourselves too," scolded Laney.

"You need to worry about getting better," said Dean, pointing a finger at her.

Laney sighed and stared past her brother out of the small window into the dark night. There was so much to say, so much to talk about – yellow-eyes, her abilities, the accident, their father's death – no one seemed much in the mood to get into it. And she just didn't have it in her.

She could feel exhaustion taking hold. She was beginning to have a hard time maintaining focus; her concentration veering wildly all over the place. The throbbing in her leg was becoming unbearable and seemed to stand out above all the other various aches and pains. She hoped it wouldn't take too long to heal. She couldn't imagine the burden she was going to be for her brothers. With her mind all over the place it was inevitable that the waterworks would start. _Ah geez, here we go!_

Sam caught Dean's attention and nodded his head towards Laney. Dean looked over and noticed the tears streaming down her face.

"What's the matter?" asked Dean, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand.

"My leg is killing me," she said. There was a lot more than that wrong, but it was probably the only thing that could be fixed at the moment.

"I'll go get the nurse," said Dean, not wanting to waste time with the call button.

"Okay," she whispered.

Sam grabbed his sister's hand and squeezed. "You alright baby?"

"It's a lot to take in? I can't even think straight."

"That's to be expected. Your body went through some major trauma. No one thought you were even going to make it – well accept Dean of course. He never thought otherwise."

"What about you?" she asked.

His expression said it all.

"It was really that bad?"

"Yeah, it was …the worst."

"Sorry."

Sam frowned at her. "Always apologizing for things you can't control."

"I know…I just – I hate – you know to…"

"What?"

 _Be such a burden._

"Nothing," she said. "Just promise me that you guys will take care of yourselves. Get a room somewhere and get some real sleep. You don't need to babysit me anymore."

"I don't know," said Sam. "I don't know if Dean will go for that." _I don't know if I'll go for that._

"Just do your puppy dog thing," said Laney, with a smile.

Sam laughed his great booming laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Dean, returning to the room with a nurse in tow.

Laney shook her head, wincing with the movement. "It's nothing."

The nurse walked around to Laney's IV with a needle and a vial of medication.

"This is going to pretty much knock you out in a minute or two," she said.

"Oh – okay, can you give me a quick second?"

"Sure," said the nurse impatiently.

"Sammy, don't forget what I said."

Dean looked at his brother questioningly. Sam gave him the I'll-tell-you-later look.

"No promises, baby. But I'll do my thing."

Laney smiled. "That's all I ask."

Laney nodded at the nurse to go ahead with the injection.

Almost immediately she felt the welcome warmth and relief spread through her body. She had to admit, it was a pretty pleasant feeling.

"Love you guys," she mumbled, groggily.

Dean leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"You too, kiddo," whispered Dean.

Laney shut her eyes and shut out the world.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 _…_ _Oh thank God, Dad's alive!..._

 _…"_ _That man I shot, he was a real person. I know he was possessed, but he was a real person. He probably had people who loved him and cared about him. Maybe he had a family of his own."_

 _…"_ _You didn't have a choice Laney."_

 _… "_ _It found us!..It's here... Sam go check the salt lines."_

 _…"_ _Son, give me the gun. What are you doing?"_

 _…"_ _You're not my Dad."_

 _…"_ _It's not Dad. He's possessed! I think he's been possessed since you rescued him. I could feel something wasn't right."_

"Laney wake up!"

 _…"_ _You know, I could have killed you two a bunch of times today, but this was worth the wait…Your Dad…he's in here you know, trapped in his own meat suit. He says hi by the way."_

 _…_ _Leave him alone! Please don't kill my brother…Dean, I love you!_

 _…"_ _Stop! Stop or I will shoot you!"_

 _… "_ _Pretty convincing… "But I have a better proposition."_

 _…_ _Oh God! Dean! All that blood!_

 _…"_ _I'll trade their lives…for yours...if you put that gun to your head and pull the trigger."_

"Laney, come on baby, wake up!"

 _…"_ _Come on Delaney. You've always known the truth, deep down inside. You know how I really know? Because dear Daddy gave you up once."_

 _…"_ _You're lying." It can't be true! Daddy!_

 _…"_ _You know, I'm not…_

 _…_ _You're gum on his shoe. Just an annoyance."_

 _I have no choice. I'll put the gun to my head._

 _…"_ _NO!"_

 _…"_ _Dean, you'll die and I can't do it. I can't shoot him. I can't be responsible for killing Dad too. Mom's already gone because of me…If this is the only way…then I have to. You would do the same for me or Sammy."_

 _…"_ _Baby, put it down, don't do it..."_

 _…"_ _I love you both…Take care of each other, take care of Dad."_

 _…"_ _Shoot me!...I'm begging you. We can end this right here and now. Just do it."_

 _…_ _Don't do it Sammy!_

 _…_ _DADDY!_

"Delaney, wake up!"

Laney awoke with a start, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"Are you okay, baby?"

"Sammy?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Laney leaned back in the bed, panting as though she'd been running. Sam grabbed a washcloth and reached over to wipe the sweat from her face.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "Just a nightmare."

Sam frowned at it his sister. "You sure you're okay? You want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine."

Sam looked at his sister doubtfully. Whatever she'd been dreaming about had been pretty bad. She'd been moaning and crying out and it had taken a lot longer than he would have liked to wake her up.

"Where's Dean?" she asked as she looked around the room.

Sam smiled. "He should be by soon. It was his turn to sleep."

Laney nodded. "So, it worked?"

"It took a while to convince him, but yeah. We're taking shifts."

"I'm glad nothing can resist the puppy dog eyes – not even Dean," said Laney, noticing that her brother looked more rested and refreshed and less scruffy.

"I think it's more because he was starting to smell like dirty socks and none of the hot nurses would go near him with a ten foot pole."

Laney chuckled, wincing slightly at the soreness in her abdomen.

"What's so funny?" asked Dean, walking in the door.

"Nothing," smiled Laney, noticing he was clean, shaven, and looking rested. "You look good."

"Duh," smirked Dean.

"I'm glad I can count on you for consistency," said Laney, with a smile.

"I'd hate to disappoint."

"I'm sure you would."

"How are you feeling?" he asked getting serious.

"Better."

"Really?" he asked, "Because you know this isn't the time to put on a brave face."

"I really do feel better. My leg is pretty sore, but I guess it's bound to hurt when they've slapped my leg back together with metal parts."

"Yeah, I suppose so. If it gets to be too much though you make sure to let me know."

"You'll be the first."

"Good."

Sam's phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at it and nodded at Dean, before stepping out of the room and into the hall.

"What's going on?"

"We have an appointment. We were waiting on something."

"What?"

Dean hesitated. She knew by the look on his face that he wasn't interested in sharing whatever it was.

"Never mind. How long will you be gone?"

"We'll back before you know it kiddo," said Dean, "We'll be on hospital grounds the whole time. So if you need us, we're just steps away. Just have the nurse call me."

"The nurse has your number?" asked Laney, with a raised eyebrow.

"Is everything about sex with you?" he joked, "It's not like that. Her name is Rachel and she's been your primary nurse the whole time you've been here and she's really awesome."

"Okay, sure," said Laney, still smirking.

"Besides she's a little older than I like them."

Laney laughed. Dean smiled. He would never get over hearing his sister laugh. He'd come so close to never hearing that laugh again. Now, it was like music to his ears.

Sam returned to the room. "We're good," he said to Dean.

"Alright, baby, we're out of here. Remember what I said okay?"

"Yup."

Her brothers approached the bed and gave her kisses on the cheek. Laney breathed in their comforting scents. They smelled like home.

Once they had left and she was in the room alone, she felt a sudden and unexpected loneliness. She knew they would be back and she was just being silly, but every second they were out of her sight, the more panicky she felt. She could lose them without having told them how important they were to her. She'd lost her father – whom she always thought of as invincible – and she didn't get to say goodbye. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she remembered their last moments. She'd been angry at him. She'd felt real hate for him in the moment when he wanted to keep pursuing yellow-eyes even though Dean was horribly injured. She hated him, and it was the last thing she'd felt for him before she woke up again. Nothing was ever going to change that. She wondered if he knew that she really did love him. She wondered even more how much he really ever loved her.

"Hey there Delaney."

Laney looked up startled. She'd been so deep in thought she hadn't heard anyone enter.

"Hi, uh – Rachel?"

"Yup, that's me. Do you have any memory of me?"

"I remember you from when I woke up the first time. I couldn't speak. My brothers speak very highly of you."

"I'm not the only one. You're a lucky girl to have two brothers so crazy about you."

"Yes, yes I am," said Laney quietly.

"They're seriously hot too. If I were only 20 years younger," she laughed.

Laney giggled. Normally, she didn't like anyone of the female persuasion lusting over her brothers. But somehow she didn't mind Rachel. She seemed to be a genuinely caring and compassionate person. If her brothers liked her, than it was a big deal – especially Dean – since Dean didn't generally like anyone.

"I don't think they're the settling down type anyway."

"No, doesn't seem like it," said Rachel, thoughtfully. "What about you? I hear you're a freshman at MIT."

Laney frowned. She didn't feel like talking about it. "Uh – yeah," she said uncomfortably.

Rachel picked up on her discomfort immediately. Twenty something years experience in the hospital had made her good at reading people and her patient obviously didn't want to talk about that particular subject.

"I have good news for you," said Rachel.

Laney raised an eyebrow. "My casts are coming off and I can go home?"

"Uh, no," said Rachel, "You've got your brother's sense of humor."

"I try."

"No, unfortunately you're stuck with those casts for a while and you'll be a guest here for a little while longer."

"Okay, so then what's the good news?"

"Well I've got orders from the doctor to send you down to one of the regular medical floors. He feels you're well enough that you no longer require our services here in the ICU."

"That _is_ good news; nothing personal or anything."

"No offense taken. It's always a good day for me when I can send one of my patients one step closer to home."

"So what now?"

"How do you feel about a shower?"

"Really? But what about all this?" Laney asked pointing to her casts and the various tubes and wires still connected to her.

"Well, we're going to disconnect all of the wires and monitors. You don't really need them anymore. You don't need the feeding tube. As a matter of fact, you'll be allowed to have some real food today, although it's hospital food, so I'm not sure how excited you should get about that."

Laney smiled, "What about the casts? And the fact that I can't bend my leg."

"Honey, don't worry about a thing. It might seem a little awkward but you'll be fine. Besides we have to get you up and moving around as soon as possible before all those muscles start to atrophy. If you don't, rehab will be that much harder."

Laney studied the nurse doubtfully for a moment. She couldn't imagine how she was going to move anywhere. She could barely sit up in the bed with the soreness in her abdomen making it known and the throbbing in her leg. Not to mention Rachel was pretty much the same stature and weight as she was.

"No offense, but you're not going to be able to get me out of this bed on your own."

Rachel chuckled. "Of course not. I'm stronger than I look but I have my limitations. I'm going to have your brothers help me when they get back. They'll need the practice helping you out while you recover."

Laney turned several shades of red in embarrassment. She couldn't imagine the humiliation of her brothers having to take her to the bathroom or get her in the shower.

Rachel noticed Laney's embarrassment. "No worries honey. They won't be seeing you naked."

"I guess I shouldn't be embarrassed. They changed my diapers and bathed me growing up. It's just – you know – I'm not a – a little girl anymore. I would hate to have come this far only to die of humiliation."

Rachel smiled widely. "I can see how you guys are all related. It shows and not just in your resemblance to each other. The way you talk and interact. It's clear how close you all are."

"Yeah, we are," whispered Laney.

Rachel began removing the wires and various tubing from Laney to get her prepped to move.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Laney, quietly.

Rachel stopped what she was doing for a moment to look Laney in the eye. "Sure."

"You know my father died right?"

"Yes," answered Rachel quietly.

"I don't know the details – and I really don't want to know right now. But I was just wondering if he – he – did he – you know – uh – come visit me before he – "

Laney's voice trailed off unable to finish her question.

"Yes he did," Rachel said. "He sat with you for a while and talked to you."

Laney nodded her head. Shutting her eyes against any tears that might dare come. "Thank you," she whispered.

Rachel patted her on the hand. "You're welcome."

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"What's all this?" asked Dean with a big smile.

"I'm being let go from the ICU. They are busting me down to the minors," said Laney.

"How does it feel?" asked Sam.

"Great," she answered, "And I finally get to take a much needed shower."

"Good," laughed Dean. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but you were really starting to get pretty rank."

"Oh thanks a lot chuckles."

Sam laughed at the play between his siblings. It was reassuring to him to see them get back into their usual dynamics. Their father was gone and they had yet to grieve for him, but somehow, in moments like these he thought they would be alright.

Rachel walked into the room with a walker and a wheelchair in tow. Laney's smile turned into a deep frown at the sight. She knew she was in for some serious pain with a side of humiliation.

"What do we have here?" asked Dean.

"Tools of the trade," answered Rachel, with a wink to Laney. "We have to help your sister get some mobility back, so you two are going to help, because this is going to be your job when she moves to the regular medical unit. So pay attention class."

"You know, I really like take charge chicks," said Dean with a smirk.

"You know, I really like men who don't refer to women as chicks," retorted Rachel.

Sam laughed out loud. Laney rolled her eyes. Dean didn't look the least bit contrite.

"Don't encourage him. He'll only try harder," said Laney.

Dean flashed her his most innocent look. Then he shrugged his shoulders and looked at Rachel. "She's right you know."

"Okay, can we please get this show on the road?" asked Laney, testily. Her leg was seriously bothering her and she could think of nothing else but getting clean and hopefully some more painkillers when all was said and done.

"Sorry kiddo," said Dean.

"So what do we do?" asked Sam.

"She's going to be really sore and very, very weak after lying in bed for so long, so we're going to have to support her weight as much as possible, but allow her to bear some of her own."

Rachel pulled the walker to the left side of the bed to get to Laney's non-casted side. "This is for you to hold on to. It's just a couple of steps to the wheelchair, okay?"

Laney took in a deep breath. "Okay."

"Dean and Sam, you each kind of take a side. Laney I'm going to adjust the head of the bed up until you're in an upright sitting position. It's probably going to hurt a bit."

Laney nodded an okay. Rachel reached for the bed controls and the bed moved slowly until she was sitting.

"Ouch," gasped Laney. "That's more than a bit."

"Sorry, sweetie."

Sam and Dean exchanged worried looks. Neither one of them wanted to see their sister in more pain, even if this way for a good reason.

"Okay, now Dean you help grab this side and Sam you support the other side and we'll get her scooted off the bed so she's facing me and the walker."

Laney's brothers nodded, both offering her apologetic looks, because they knew what they were about to do was going to hurt her. "Just go ahead," she whispered, "Let's get this over with."

With all the care of handling an infant the three managed to get her sitting in a nearly upright position at the side of the bed, her casted leg awkwardly pointing straight out. She was panting from the strain of the seemingly minor movement. Her body felt like Jell-o.

"I'll give you a moment to rest and then we're going to help you stand up, and get over to the wheelchair, okay honey?"

Laney nodded. She was in too much pain to speak. She felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her leg was no longer the only thing throbbing; now it was her entire body.

Dean put his hand to her face and thumbed away the beads of sweat forming at her temple. The simple touch helped Laney relax. "Okay, I'm ready."

"On the count of three," said Rachel. "One…two…three."

They simultaneously lifted Laney up to standing position. The suddenness of her leg changing elevation sent a shock of unexpected and excruciating pain through her leg. Laney cried out in spite of herself.

"Ow – ow – ow, my leg," she cried, fighting back the tears.

"It's okay, sweetie," said Rachel. She looked up at the boys to give them a reassuring smile. "Let's get her to the wheelchair."

They pretty much supported her entire body weight. Laney felt her free leg dangling uselessly. The bottom of her foot briefly touched the floor and with the tiny bit of weight she put on it, she felt how weak she really was.

As they seated her in the wheelchair, they lifted one of the foot rests up so her casted leg could rest high. It helped take a bit of the edge off the pain.

"See, not that bad," said Rachel.

Laney looked up at her and gave her a glare that Dean found so reminiscent of his little brother that he nearly laughed out loud.

"I don't want to do that again – ever," bit out Laney.

"It'll be easier next time," said Rachel. "You'll see."

"Just think of the incentive," said Dean, "You get to shower and not smell like those stinky cheeses Sammy likes to eat."

"I guess there's that," said Laney, more for her brothers benefit than her own. She had to remind herself that they needed reassurance that she would be fine as much as she did.

"Okay then," said Rachel, "This is where you two get to sit back and let us ladies do all the work."

Rachel rolled Laney to the bathroom, where she noticed a removable shower head protruding from the wall and a drain in the floor, but no shower curtains or doors.

"How is this going to work?" asked Laney.

"It's pretty simple really. You'll stay in the wheelchair. I'll park you here and you can use the shower attachment. You see the faucets are at your level, so you can control the temperature and all that."

"What about my casts?"

"I'm going to wrap them up in plastic bagging so you won't have to worry about it and I've got soap and a sponge here for you. I can help you wash up if you want. I know you're pretty weak and –"

"No, no," interrupted Laney, "I think I can handle it."

"Okay."

Rachel got Laney settled and prepped for her shower. "I'll be back in 15 minutes to help you dry up and get into a fresh gown."

Laney nodded. Once she was alone, she adjusted the water as hot as she could stand it and sat under the stream. She lathered up the sponge with the soap she was given and began the awkward task of bathing herself. She had to admit that it wasn't too bad. Luckily for her she was left-handed and that was the side that was more or less intact. If she wasn't so weak it would be even easier. She was feeling pleased with herself until it came time to wash her hair.

She dropped the shampoo bottle and there was no way to reach it. When she leaned over to try and grab it, the shooting pain in her abdomen stopped her. Then she dropped the sponge and the soap. In frustration and humiliation she began to cry. _This is what your future is looking like._

The thought of having to be tended to like a baby and not being able to do anything for herself anytime soon sent her down a spiral of sadness that soon had her weeping like a child.

On the other side of the bathroom door Sam and Dean listened silently to their sister falling apart. And there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The painkillers Laney had been given helped her fall asleep quickly, but within a short time she found herself awake and in pain again. She could only catch 20 or 30 minutes of sleep at a time. Sam had taken first shift and was asleep in the chair next to her – looking incredibly uncomfortable – his enormous frame crumpled up like a pretzel.

Her leg throbbed, her abdomen ached, and her head pounded. After her breakdown during her shower Rachel had helped her get dried, dressed, and resettled. When she got back into bed, she realized that it was pretty obvious her brothers had heard her little breakdown. There was an awkward and uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. She was eternally grateful that they had chosen to pretend they hadn't heard a thing.

She was also horribly embarrassed. She'd had a purely selfish pity party about her current physical state. She knew it was temporary and that eventually she would get better, but it bothered her in an unexpected and extreme way. After all the wishing she could become a real hunter – not just a research lackey – she wondered how that would ever be. She had visions of being left behind while her brothers hunted because she was too physically damaged to be of any use in the field. And she was absolutely terrified of being without them. She used to think she knew her path – that she had it all laid out – but now the future seemed unknown.

She was bothered too, by the fact that she had yet to really cry over her father's death. It still didn't feel real to her. As difficult of a recovery she faced with her injuries, she at least knew that she would get through it. She had a goal and with enough work she could reach it. But her father – he was gone – and there was nothing in the world that was going to bring him back.

Laney attempted to readjust herself in the bed which sent a jolt of pain through her leg that left her breathless. After waiting a few minutes for it to settle down – and it just staying the same – she reluctantly pressed the nurse call button. She couldn't handle it anymore. She waited and waited and pressed the call button again.

 _It must be broken._

She'd been moved to the regular medical unit shortly after her shower. Her new nurse had the personality of a rock and no one seemed to give her more than a momentary glance. It was a far cry from the nurses in the ICU. At least Rachel had promised to come visit her between her shifts.

When it became clear that no one was going to be coming to her rescue, Laney went through a series of breathing exercises that Pamela had taught her. But it didn't help and although she mentally kicked herself for it, she started to cry. Maybe she deserved to suffer. Maybe she'd brought all of this on herself. If she hadn't been so stupid and let herself get caught by Meg, her father would have never delivered himself right into the hands of yellow-eyes. This whole chain of events wouldn't have been kicked into gear. Her father would be alive.

 _No, don't think about Dad._

Laney put the brakes on the spiral in to self-pity long enough to stick her hand out and shake Sam's knee. He was awake instantly. He scrutinized his sister. Her face was just barely illuminated by the sliver of moonlight coming in through the window, but it was enough to see that her face was wet with tears.

"What's the matter baby?" he asked, clicking on the light by her bed. He frowned when he got a good look at her face. Her eyes were red and puffy – she'd obviously been crying for awhile.

"I'm in a lot of pain," she said apologetically with a sniffle. "And I keep pressing the stupid call button, but no one answers."

Sam got up from his chair and wiped away his sister's tears with the sleeve of his shirt. "I'll go track someone down. Relax. I'll be right back."

Laney nodded and wiped at her nose. She hated being such a baby.

Her brother was back in less than a minute, an annoyed looking nurse in tow.

"You're in pain?" It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. I can't sleep," answered Laney, softly.

Sam frowned. She sounded so sorry about it, when she didn't have a damn thing to be sorry about. He and Dean were going to have to have a talk about that. They didn't need her feeling guilty for anything.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, what would you rate your pain at?" the nurse asked, tonelessly.

"A nine," said Laney. _Rapidly approaching a ten._

The nurse sighed heavily. "I'll have to put a call in to your doctor."

"Why?" asked Sam.

"I have to have an order from the doctor Okaying it. She's not due for more pain meds until morning."

"Until morning?" asked Sam, incredulously. He looked at his watch. Morning was still a few hours away.

"We can't have her doped up all the time. These are powerful pain meds and very addictive. We're supposed to be weaning her," said the nurse with more than a little attitude.

Laney looked up at Sam with a silent plea for help. The look on her face was heartbreaking.

Sam shook his head and looked back at the nurse. "Well call her doctor. I know my sister, if she's in enough pain to ask for medication, then it's really bad. She's not making it up to get some kind of high."

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises," said the nurse, who turned on her heels and walked out the door in a huff.

Sam glared at the nurses back.

"I guess they don't teach people skills in nursing school," remarked Laney, breathlessly.

Sam returned his gaze to his sister's face. It was etched deep with pain. She was taking deep breaths in and out.

 _Can't make any promises? Yeah, we'll see about that,_ thought Sam.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. The call was picked up on the first ring.

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_

"Dean, we need you here."

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"Miss Winchester? Miss Winchester?"

Laney awoke groggy and confused to an unfamiliar voice. When she managed to pry her eyes open she was met by the stare of an older heavy set woman dressed in a business suit that was a size or two too snug. She had some sort of official looking I.D badge attached to her lapel.

"Hi Delaney. I'm sorry to have to wake you, but I really need to speak with you."

"It's Laney…nobody calls me Delaney." _Except my father._

Laney pushed back the creeping sadness.

"Well, then Laney. My name is Cheryl Wiseman. I'm the social worker assigned to your case."

Laney's eyes widened. "Where are my brothers?" she asked in a panic.

"They are having a little meeting with hospital administration. Apparently your brother Dean got a little aggressive with some of the staff last night."

"He was just trying to help me," said Laney. Dean had arrived at her room barely 10 minutes after Sam's phone call and raised holy hell on the medical staff until she got her pain medication. She was blissfully asleep and mostly pain free until she was just so rudely awakened. Like her oldest brother, she had a very special distaste for officials of any sort.

"What do you need to talk to me about? And why do I have a social worker?" she asked, as she shook with a chill. The room seemed to have grown colder. But that could just be that the woman left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Did your brothers not explain the situation to you?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"They told me that they got you the required legal documents you needed to see that Dean is my legal guardian now. As far as I know there is no situation," Laney bit out.

"The validity of those documents are not in question. But just because that's what your father dictated in his will, does not automatically mean that's what the state thinks is best for you."

"Why would the state think my brother's not what's best for me?" asked Laney, her voice going up a notch.

"We have some concerns we need to address without your brothers present, so that you won't feel pressured to – well so that you'll feel you have the ability to be open and honest with me about your situation, should there be anything you might be afraid to talk about."

"Are you nuts lady?" demanded Laney, sounding for all the world, like Dean.

"Uh – no – I – uh – I am simply concerned for your well being," she stuttered.

"There's nothing to be concerned about," scoffed Laney, with a dismissive wave.

"Well, when you were brought in and evaluated, the emergency room personnel noted some injuries on your body that they didn't feel were consistent with the accident you were in; some healing superficial scratches covering your arms and legs and particularly severe lacerations on your chest that were already sutured."

Laney kept her expression neutral despite the panic that was flaring in her gut. She'd forgotten about the injuries that Meg had inflicted on her, what with all the other shit that had happened in the short time since. Even worse than that – her brothers hadn't mentioned any issues the social worker was talking about, so she had no idea what might have been said – if anything. She was going to have to tread very carefully.

"Cut to the chase. What are you implying?" asked Laney.

"That the injuries are consistent with methodical abuse or torture."

"Torture? Are you freaking kidding me?" asked Laney, barely restraining herself from screaming.

"No, Miss Winchester I am not kidding you," said the social worker, in a serious tone.

"Listen, Ms. Wiseman? I was in a car accident and I have no idea what you are talking about."

The social worker set her briefcase on the edge of Laney's bed and pulled out a thick file folder.

"I did some research into your history. Your family moved around a lot, never really settled anywhere. You did most of your education through correspondence and homeschooling, with fleeting attendance in regular schools. I know that your mother died in a fire when you weren't even a day old and at one point when you were still an infant, you were pulled from your father's care by child protective services. No one seemed to be real clear on what your father did for a living. And there are no tax records for your father or siblings."

Laney took a deep breath. Her anxiety level was spiking. The fact that this woman had poked into her past scared the living crap out of her. She didn't like anyone digging around her family business and she especially didn't like what this woman was implying.

"I'm trying to help you. If you've been abused or mistreated or neglected, you can feel safe in telling me. I will get you help."

"Are you out of your mind? Abused? My father never laid a hand on me! And Dean pretty much raised me and Sam while my Dad worked. He has never and would never hurt me. It's none of your business what my family does or doesn't do!"

"Miss Winchester, I feel with the info I've gathered that I have enough to show cause to open a formal investigation into your case in family court to establish the fitness of Dean to be your legal guardian."

Laney couldn't help the tears that sprung to her eyes. She started breathing heavily and could feel the bile rising in her throat. She was on the verge of vomiting then and there.

"I believe that you've been abused – horribly – and you're afraid to turn your brother in or admit what your father did. "

"Get out! Get out!" yelled Laney as loud as she could. She'd heard enough. She was pretty certain that if she had a weapon on her, she would have used it.

"Miss Winchester you don't have to cover for them," said the social worker, ignoring Laney's outburst. "If it was your father that did this to you then it's okay now. He's passed away and if Dean proves to be a competent guardian, then you'll be fine and we can provide support services to deal with the trauma you suffered."

"How dare you insult the memory of my father by insinuating he abused me! My father was a good man. He never hurt me!" yelled out Laney with a sob. Her body reverberated with pain.

"Then explain your injuries."

"I don't know! I don't remember! I've had brain trauma. I don't remember anything!"

"Exactly – so how can you be sure?"

"Because I know! I don't remember the accident – but I remember my whole life before that, so I know they never hurt me! Please – please – I want my brothers. Dean! Sammy!" she cried out in frustration and fear.

"Laney please calm down before you hurt yourself."

Laney was sitting nearly upright with her good leg dangling off the side of the bed. She was about to get out of the bed and remove the woman herself. Even though she knew she wasn't physically capable. It didn't stop her from trying.

"Get out!" yelled Laney, almost falling to the floor. She grasped the side table with her good hand, holding on with what little strength she had.

Dean and Sam came rushing in through the door. One glance at their sister and they could see the terror written all over her face.

"What the hell is going on?!" shouted Dean.

He glared at the social worker. He had a feeling after their last meeting that he hadn't seen the last of her. But why was she harassing his sister?

Sam rushed over to his sister's side and put his arms around her. He gently eased her back onto the bed. "Baby, what's the matter?"

"That bitch thinks you guys or Dad abused me! She's trying to get Dean declared unfit to be my guardian."

Sam put his arms tighter around his sister, as if someone was going to rip her away right then and there. He glanced at Dean, whose jaw was clenched tight – the vein at his temple throbbing.

"You're trying to do what?" asked Dean, in a low but menacing tone. He had to keep his wits about him. Tact was not necessarily in his nature, but he knew how to keep a cool head in a fight – and this – this was a fight.

"Mr. Winchester," she started, her voice faltering just a tiny bit in response to Dean's glare. "I have reason to believe that your sister may have been abused or neglected. As I was explaining to Delaney, she had some injuries that were inconsistent with those obtained in the accident. They were methodical and seemed to be intentional. I've had a lot of experience with victims of abuse over the years. I know when something is accidental and when it is not."

"I wasn't abused!" shouted Laney, her voice hoarse with tears.

Sam squeezed her and rubbed her back. He exchanged a brief glance with his brother. This was about the injuries Meg had inflicted on their sister.

"We took photographs of your injuries for documentation."

"You what?" asked the siblings simultaneously.

"After she was initially stabilized I was called in, I took photos to document the injuries to use in court."

Laney shivered. It was enough that she'd been violated by Meg, but this actually felt worse.

"My sister says she wasn't abused. Why don't you believe her?" asked Sam, through clenched teeth.

"She said that she has no memory of how she received the injuries, so I have to believe that she either she really doesn't remember or she's just trying to protect her family. I see it in cases of abuse all the times. The victims always protect the perpetrators, especially when they are related."

"Why were you even questioning her without the presence of a lawyer or advocate? I happen to know that's illegal," spat out Sam.

"That's right, you were pre-law at Stanford," said the social worker thoughtfully.

Sam and Dean's eyebrows both raised in shock.

"She was digging into our records," said Laney.

"I thought it in her best interests to research her past history. It's sketchy at best, which is another cause for concern."

"Unless you can prove a thing I don't give a shit what your concerns are," snapped Dean. "I think you need to leave now."

The social worker grabbed up her briefcase and files. The Winchester men looked like they were going to snap at any second and she wasn't going to overstay her welcome any longer.

She paused at the door before turning back to address them. "My office will be in touch. We will be pursuing this through the court system."

The bitch turned on her heels and walked out the door with a haughty glance.

Dean rubbed his hands through his hair. Why? Why couldn't people just leave his family alone? Why is everyone trying to rip away everything he has in the world?

"Dean," cried Laney, "You can't let them take me away. I can't live without you guys. I don't want to live without you guys."

Dean walked over to his sister. "Laney, no one is taking you away from us," he assured in a stern voice.

"Not a chance baby," added Sam, hoping his voice sounded convincing. The truth was that he was feeling pretty scared. He knew that an overzealous social worker could make their lives miserable. One look at Dean's face and Sam saw that that was never going to happen; so he allowed himself to relax.

Dean put an arm around his sister. She threw both of her arms around him and crushed him to her with all the strength she could muster.

"Whoa, easy there kiddo, I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"I don't care," she answered. And she didn't. Pain be damned, she needed to hold on tight. She couldn't stop her tears and suddenly the nausea she'd been keeping at bay was no longer willing to be ignored. She quickly pulled back from her brother.

"I'm going to be sick," she said, flailing about helplessly.

Sam grabbed a bucket from her bedside and quickly placed it under her face, pulling her hair back. Dean changed his position to support her as she leaned over retching violently. He winced with each heave as he rubbed her back in comfort and worked to keep his anger at bay.

"It's okay baby, get it all out," said Sam. He exchanged a worried glance with his brother. It hurt them to see their sister hurting so much – physically and emotionally.

"What are we going to do?" Laney whispered through her tears, as she pulled away from the bucket. She leaned back against her brother sweaty and flushed.

"You're going to take a few minutes to calm down and then we'll talk about it," said Dean, sternly.

Laney breathed deeply willing calm. Another chill passed through her. The room seemed to be colder than ever.

"You cold?" Sam asked.

Laney nodded.

Dean scooted off the bed carefully and gently got her to lay back against the bed. He pulled the covers up, tucking them in around her. Sam handed him an extra blanket and he added that to the pile.

"Thanks," she said with a sniffle.

Dean sat on the bed next to his sister and put a hand to her forehead. She felt warm, but he attributed it to her emotional state.

"What are we going to do?" she asked again, her glistening eyes staring Dean straight in the eye.

Dean sighed.

"I think you should rest," he said.

"I can't rest until we figure out what we're going to do," Laney insisted.

Dean was going to argue with her. But it would be a losing battle. Maybe they wouldn't figure out exactly what they were going to do, but maybe he could provide her some comfort to at least get her to relax. Her eyes were bright with pain and her color left a little to be desired.

"Okay, kiddo. Walk me through everything she said to you."

Laney took a deep breath and began.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Laney was sleeping – albeit restlessly – after Dean had finally forced her to close her eyes and get some rest. The energy she expended in telling her brothers everything the social worker had said – all the accusations and innuendos – had left her weak, pale, and not looking so great. But she'd insisted on strategizing with them. After all, it was her ass on the line. She had everything to lose. If someone managed to take her away from her brothers, at least Sam and Dean would still have each other. For her, it would be nothing but loneliness and isolation. She may be turning 18 in a year – but that was a year too long and really she'd rather die.

Laney had convinced Dean it was okay to bring Gavin in for help. Although she considered herself more the computer genius, Gavin was a close second and he did have something she didn't have – human connections within law enforcement and federal agencies. His help would be invaluable. What was happening to them now – the threat – was bigger than any issues Dean had with the man. All he cared about was getting his family through this latest complication unscathed and intact. If he had to use the devil himself to save them – he would.

Dean quietly paced the room. Adrenaline was still coursing through him – the fight or flight response in full effect. Sam was napping in the chair next to their sister. He'd never had his chance to rest up at the motel and the kid looked dead on his feet, but had refused to leave. Dean didn't blame him. He wasn't going anywhere either.

After Gavin delivered the fake documents, not that they'd done much good, he'd decided to stay close in case of any problems with the social worker. When Dean called and filled him in, he promised to look into Cheryl Wiseman and her supposed case and head over to the hospital when he got all the information gathered so they could get a game plan together. Gavin had asked to visit Laney after his previous meeting with the boys, but Dean had denied his request. Now it looked like the guy was going to get his way, when really he wanted the guy as far away as possible. He was just a little too sweet on his sister, whom he never stopped reminding Gavin, was only 17.

 _Dude, get over it._ This was about his sister's needs and not his own. Whatever it takes, he was going to do. He had made a promise to his father to take care of his siblings. Already he was screwing it up. He couldn't let that happen anymore. He would move heaven and hell to get social services off their back.

Dean was pulled from his thoughts by his sister's restless movements. Poor kid couldn't seem to get comfortable. She was sighing and moaning almost constantly. He walked over to the bed and pulled the tucked the blankets closer around her as a shiver passed through her. His movement woke Sam up from his nap.

"How is she?" asked Sam, yawning widely.

"Restless," answered Dean, with a frown.

"Her brain is working overtime."

"I'm sure it is," said Dean. He smiled remembering all those nights when she was growing up where she couldn't get to sleep. He'd sit with her and rub her back as she asked him a million and one questions about things he didn't have any answers for. Her brain was always working, always curious, always calculating, always amazing.

"I hate that she has this to deal with now. She's terrified," said Sam. _Hell, I'm terrified._

Dean sighed. "We just have to keep reassuring her that we won't let anything happen…if she'll listen."

"Yeah, I know she's stubborn as hell."

"Where do you think she gets it from?" asked Dean.

"Me? Stubborn? Never!"Sam said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Trust me. She got my stellar looks and charming personality. But she has your hard head," said Dean with a smirk.

"Charming?" teased Sam. It was true. Dean did have a special way with people, although sometimes he was as subtle as a brick, and a little over the top. When it came to literally charming the pants of the opposite sex, he was a master.

"Don't forget strikingly handsome," added Dean.

Sam chuckled.

Dean glanced over at his sister who to his surprise was awake and smiling faintly at him.

"Hey shrimp sorry to wake you," said Dean.

"Wasn't sleeping well anyway. What's so funny?"

"Dean's stroking his ego," said Sam.

Laney chuckled softly. "So what's new," she said, sarcastically.

"How you feeling?" asked Dean.

Laney took mental stock. She knew she hadn't slept well. Her whole body felt achy and cold. Her leg was killing her too. A quick glance at the wall mounted clock on the far wall showed her that she was still a few hours away from getting anymore pain meds. She wasn't about to make a fuss either. She didn't need Dean to blow a fuse. She couldn't risk him getting thrown out of the hospital. That would just be more ammunition for the social worker and that woman had enough to work with as it was.

Dean frowned when he noticed his sister taking a little longer than she should to answer his question. She looked terrible, but considering the current state of affairs, it didn't seem to be cause for concern.

"Sore… tired," answered Laney. It was partially the truth and hopefully enough to keep her brothers from getting too overbearing. But she could feel that something was off.

"Sure you're okay?" asked Sam, ever observant. He sensed her hesitation and knew all too well that she liked to shoulder everything and not ask for help.

"Don't worry about me Sasquatch. I'll be fine," she answered, reaching out and squeezing his knee.

Sam squeezed her hand. "I wouldn't be your big brother if I didn't worry."

Dean sat down on the edge of the bed next to his sister. "You know kiddo… everything is going to work out. We're going to figure this out. Nothing is going to happen to you, no one is going to take you away from us. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you," whispered Laney.

"But?" asked Dean, when he noticed his sister's hesitation.

"It's them I don't trust. I know we'll figure this out, but I'm worried about how hard they can make our lives. We've spent most of our lives flying under the radar… we can't afford this kind of scrutiny. It's not good for the work that we do."

Sam sighed. She had a good point. They really couldn't afford to have anyone digging around too much. All the years they'd put in with illegal activity, all the secret identities, credit card frauds, the list went on and on. And Laney had pulled most of it off with her computer skills. If she ever got charged in a court of law, she could spend the rest of her life in federal prison.

"I know that I might as well be talking to a brick wall here…but you need to take it easy and have a little faith in us," said Dean seriously.

"As long as you let me help in any way that I can, I promise to take it easy. I don't want you guys shutting me out. This is my life too and I need to be able to be involved."

"Well, duh," said Sam, "You don't really think we're smart enough to pull it off all on our own do you?"

"Speak for yourself geek boy," said Dean.

Sam reached across the bed and playfully punched his brother in the arm.

"Don't mess with the guns," smirked Dean.

"Ha, nothing can beat these," said Sam, flexing his muscles.

"Do you two need to get a room?" asked Laney, with the roll of her eyes.

"That's sick," said Dean.

Laney shrugged her shoulders innocently.

Sam let out the deep laugh that Laney loved so much.

Laney laughed too and it let her know that nature's call could no longer be ignored. She felt herself blush under the realization. She was going to need help getting to the bathroom and it was humiliating in the worst way that she couldn't do it herself.

"What's wrong kiddo?" asked Dean, noticing her sudden blush.

Laney frowned. Sometimes it sucked having brothers who could see the slightest and most imperceptible changes in her demeanor.

"Uh – nature's calling – you know – I need help getting to the bathroom," she answered, with a stutter.

Dean looked over at Sam, biting his lip to suppress a smile. His poor baby sister was embarrassed.

"No big deal, kid," said Dean with a shrug. He motioned over to the wheelchair. "Hey Sammy, grab the wheelchair and bring it over here."

"Sure thing," said Sam.

Sam rolled it over next to the bed and arranged it in the manner that Rachel had taught them.

Laney sat up straight, the movement to her abdomen not as painful as before. At least something was getting better.

Sam grabbed her on her good side, pulling her close to the edge of the bed, while Dean supported her casted leg and arm. Together they carefully lifted her into the wheelchair.

Laney had to grit her teeth. The movement in her casted leg sent a shockwave of burning pain down her leg worse than she'd felt in a while. But she didn't want to let her brothers see it. _Let's just commence with the humiliation and get this over with._

Once she was settled in the wheelchair, she began to wheel herself towards the bathroom.

"What do you think you're going?" asked Dean.

"To the bathroom. What does it look like?"

"Not without help," said Dean. _See stubborn as hell._

"Dean, I have to start doing these things myself. If I need your help I'll ask," she said in exasperation.

Dean shot his brother a look. Sam nodded at him. "Fine," he said, throwing his hands up.

"Thank you," muttered Laney.

She wheeled herself into the restroom, rolling her eyes upward when she realized that she hadn't thought her plan of attack through very clearly. She was facing the wrong direction if she intended to get on the toilet under her own power, and the bathroom didn't allow her enough room to turn around either. She hung her head in defeat. _Nice way to show you can do things yourself, moron._

Sam had immediately noticed she was going about it all wrong, but bit his tongue. It would have just pissed her off anyway and she was embarrassed enough as it was.

When Dean noticed his sister's predicament, he walked in, pulled her out, turned her around the right way, and set the brakes without a word.

Laney looked up at him with, her eyes full of silent appreciation. "Can you shut the door please?"

Dean hesitated for a moment. He much rather just pick her up and get her on the toilet. After all, he'd raised her since she was a baby.

"Don't lock it," he said, sternly, as he shut the door behind him.

Laney breathed a sigh of relief. Now came the hard part. _Suck it up, Winchester, you're going to have to get used to this._

She prayed for the day she could start using crutches or a walker. It wasn't that it was physically impossible for her to get on the toilet herself. It was that she was feeling much weaker than before. Almost ill, like the way it felt before she was getting a cold or the flu or something. She shivered when a chill passed through her.

She gathered up her strength and gave herself a quick pep talk. She reached over and grabbed the supportive railings, using all the strength she could muster she pulled up and ungracefully plopped herself on the toilet. The movement sent another shockwave of pain shooting up her leg. She gasped loudly in spite of herself.

There was a light knock at the door. "You okay in there?" asked Dean. "Do you need help?"

"I'm fine," Laney bit out, breathlessly. "I'll be done in a minute. Just don't come in."

"Okay," said Dean, after a brief moment of hesitation.

She was pretty sure she heard him mumble something under his breath that included the words, stubborn and pain in the ass.

After a couple of minutes of letting worst of the pain subside, she got down to business. She didn't know how one person could pee so much. But it felt like it would never end. The relief she felt was more pleasant than it should have been. _Small victories._

When she was done, she mustered her strength again to get herself back into the wheelchair. She needed this to go right so Dean would have a little more faith in her abilities to take care of herself. She wasn't completely useless.

She lifted herself up – her good arm, wobbling under the strain. She had barely managed to get herself up and pull herself up enough to get into the wheelchair when her casted arm accidentally hit the brake release and her good arm gave out, sending her unceremoniously crashing to the ground. Her casted leg slammed into the floor with a sickening thud. The pain of the fall was too much to process at once and she felt her head grow fuzzy and the room spin. She heard the bathroom door fly open and footsteps rushing in without hesitation. She didn't have enough of her senses to care whether she was decent or not.

"Jesus Christ!" exclaimed Dean. His sister was sprawled out on the floor. Her eyes glazed over in pain.

"Crap, is she okay?" asked Sam, worriedly as Dean hovered over his sister.

"Laney, you okay? Talk to me," urged Dean. "Go get a nurse Sammy."

Sam nodded and spared his sister another worried glance before rushing off in search of help.

Dean pulled his sister up into a sitting position and sat down behind her, letting her lean back into his chest.

He could feel her chest hitching with sobs. "It's okay, kiddo. You're okay. No big deal."

Laney felt herself crying before she heard it. Her hearing was coming back and vision was focusing again. With it was searing pain reverberating through her body. She was shivering uncontrollably.

 _Where are you Sammy? We need help in here now._

Sam was back in less than a minute with a couple of medical personnel in tow.

"Is she okay?" asked Sam. He noticed the tears running down Laney's face; a mixture of pain and embarrassment.

One of the nurses knelt down next to Laney. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"My leg," whispered Laney. Her voice was laced with pain.

"Okay…let's get you back in bed and we'll get you something to help with the pain."

When the male assistant knelt down to lift her, Dean put his arm up. "I'll do it." He looked up at Sam. "Help me, Sammy."

Sam helped Dean gingerly lift his sister up and supported her casted leg as the carried her back to the bed.

Once she was in the bed, the nurse helped get her re-settled. She handed Laney a couple of pills of pain medication.

"I'm going to call the orthopedist," said the nurse.

"Why?" asked Sam.

"She took a pretty good spill. I'd be worried about any damage she might have done. It's not likely. But I'm going to put in a call to the on call ortho doc and see about getting a scan ordered. Just to make sure everything is in order."

Dean nodded. He liked this nurse much better. Even if she was just being nice because he'd become legend in the hospital for his over the top protection of his sister. The nursing staff was afraid of them – as they should be.

Laney wiped a hand across her face in frustration wiping at the errant tears. The pain was bad, but it was settling down. Now the embarrassment of falling on her ass in the bathroom was coming to the surface. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

"You okay, baby?" asked Sam, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"I want to crawl inside a hole and die," she said with a sniffle.

"If it's any consolation, we did not see your bare ass," said Dean, with a chuckle. He was worried, but didn't wanted to help ease his sister's embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" asked Dean.

"For being so stubborn. I should have just let you help me in the first place. Now, I've probably made things worse for me."

"If you weren't stubborn, you wouldn't be you. Don't be embarrassed. I should have never let you have your way. But I understand why you wanted to do it," said Dean.

"Yeah you know you're just going to have to let us help you for awhile."

Laney nodded. "I promise to try harder." The last thing they needed were more problems on their plate.

"You sure you're feeling okay?" asked Dean. She was awfully pale and sweaty.

"I'm cold," she said, another chill passing through her.

Dean frowned before he pulled out another blanket and covered her.

"Thank you," she said, with a sigh.

Laney felt the pull of exhaustion weighing her down, despite that her leg felt like it was on fire. She closed her eyes.

"Are you sleepy?" asked Dean.

Laney nodded and tried to get comfortable. She winced in pain.

Dean frowned. "I'm going to go find that nurse."

When Dean was out of the room, Laney looked at Sam, a small pout playing on her lips. "I'm so tired Sammy." She wasn't just talking about physically. She meant it in more ways than one.

"I know baby."

He was worried about how suddenly she seemed to get so sleepy. It just didn't seem right. As a matter of fact, everything about her seemed off. But maybe it was just him. He felt pretty exhausted himself.

"I'm sorry Sammy."

"You don't need to keep apologizing."

"Yeah, I do. I feel like such baby."

"You are not a baby. You were in an accident that was not your fault. None of this is your fault. Just let me and Dean take care of you."

"I wish Dad was here," she whispered. Surprised at her words.

"Me too," said Sam, swallowing the rapidly forming lump in his throat. None of them had the time to grieve properly for their father. When they did get the opportunity he had a feeling it was going to be ugly. Laney's recovery held precedence over everything for now.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, surprised by how warm she felt. He placed a hand to her forehead and frowned. _Did she have a fever?_

Before he could question his sister Dean returned from the nurse's station.

"The doc will be by in an hour or so. You should try and sleep."

Laney sighed in relief. "Good." She closed her eyes as she felt the relief of the pain medication working its way through her limbs, even quieting the throbbing of her leg.

Dean looked over at his brother about to ask him about the concerned look on his face when the phone in his pocket buzzed. He pulled it out.

"It's Bobby," said Dean. "I'm going to take it out in the waiting room."

Sam nodded at his brother. He leaned over and laid his head down on the bed next to his sister. _I'll just close my eyes for a minute._

Fifteen minutes later when Dean returned to the room he had to smile at the sight before him. Sam was laying over Laney. His upper body protectively covering hers, and his head resting next to her. He pushed away his annoyance at his brother falling asleep on the job and pulled a blanket from the cabinet and draped over Sam's broad shoulders.

He took a seat next to his sister, watching her chest rising and falling rhythmically and listening to his brother's soft snores. This is what it was all about for him. Keeping them together, keeping them safe, and getting rid of anything that got in the way.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Laney's dreams were haunted with fragments of things that had happened to her as a child. In particular she kept dreaming about an incident that happened when she was 6 years old. The family had gone on a hunt in Central Maine. While she was normally left behind at the motel or with Sam; it was one of the few times that John had decided to bring her along. He didn't like the way the shady motel owner had looked at his little girl. Neither did Dean. But John decided he needed all hands on deck. He couldn't afford to let Sam stay behind and he couldn't wait for reinforcements to show up. There was a pack of werewolves wreaking havoc on campers and hikers during the busy summer season. Against Dean's reservations she'd tagged along, with a warning to stay in the car; doors locked and not come out until one of them came back.

Of course, Laney, with all the curiosity of a little girl who still didn't know what her father and brothers did for a living, didn't completely listen. She got out of the safety of the Impala and played along the dirt trail that bordered the forest, digging holes in the dirt with a stick and looking out every once in awhile, waiting for her brothers and father to reappear wondering what it was they could possibly being doing out there.

When darkness began to fall she grew worried. The woods were especially scary with the creepy shadows and noises of the forest. She'd been startled by the sound of a howling wolf, turned on her heels to run, but slipped and fell a few feet down a gentle slope into the woods and right on top of an anthill. Before she'd even realized what had happened, she was covered in thousands of tiny fire ants on her legs. She ran around howling in pain and swatting at the ants in a haphazard effort to get them off. In her panic, she'd gotten disoriented and run deeper into the woods, before finally remembering some of what Dean had taught her – if you're lost, stop moving and wait – she found a sheltered spot and sat down and waited for her knight in shining armor to come and rescue her.

When the Winchesters returned to the Impala weary and worn – but victorious – their hearts leapt into their throats when Laney was nowhere to be found. Dean tracked her little footprints to the edge of the woods and using his impeccable tracking skills followed her trail into the brush. He freaked out when he realized she'd probably taken a tumble. He'd almost lost his shit when he saw the disturbed anthill and the frenzied track of footprints in the surrounding area. Luckily, she was easy to find, just couple of minutes walk into the woods he heard her whimpering in pain. He'd yelled out for his father and brother. When they caught up with him, he had his sister cradled in his arms, whispering soothing words to her while mentally swearing at the angry red welts that covered her legs from the tips of her socks to the bottom of her shorts. When John tried to grab her away, Dean clutched her tighter, and it didn't go unnoticed by John or Sam how Laney had clung tighter to her big brother, her little hands wrapped up in the flannel of his shirt, not wanting to leave the comfort of his arms. Even though John was relieved to see his little girl more or less okay, he'd started in on her right away about disobeying his orders. It was one of the few times Dean had lashed out angrily at his father. It wasn't the time or place. Dean figured she'd learned her lesson just fine and John for once, actually let it go.

Laney came awake slowly from the dream. The memory of those burning welts fresh in her mind.

She felt the familiar roughness of Dean's calloused hand gripping hers. He offered her a warm smile when she glanced at him.

"Whatcha' been dreaming about shrimp?"

"Why do you ask?" she asked sleepily, the remnants of her dream already fading away.

"You were mumbling and moving around a lot."

Maybe that's why she felt so incredibly sore; that and the fact that she'd taken a serious tumble – off a toilet, no less. She shivered at the embarrassing memory.

"Remember the fire ants in Maine?"

Dean slightly paled at the memory. Not one of his fondest.

"How could I forget? Took ten years off my life that day."

When he'd found his sister hurt and crying, deep in the woods, scared and alone, he'd felt such intense guilt at himself for ever agreeing to bring her along on a hunt and leave her alone in the car. His guilt was coupled by his anger over his father's decision to do so. They'd had one of the most intense arguments he could remember. There weren't many, because he usually followed his father's orders without question, but that had been an ugly one. He'd nearly stomped out of the motel room in anger, only to be drawn back by his sister's pleas for her big brother to make it better.

"What made you dream about that?" he asked.

"I have no idea," she answered, even though the more awake she was, the more she realized why she'd dreamed that particular dream. Her leg was on fire, and it felt very much like the ant bites had; a screaming, fiery, and unrelenting pain. Back then Dean had dunked her legs in an ice water bath, applied tons of Calamine lotion and given her Benadryl. It took everything in him not to rush her to the hospital. She spent the night curled up between him and Sammy, whimpering in pain on occasion and soothed by their gentle touches and words of comfort. She also remembered her father had gone out that night and not returned until late the next day.

Dean noticed the faraway look and flash of sorrow that crossed his sister's face.

"What is it?" he asked, gently.

"Uh…it's nothing. Where's Sammy?"

"He went to get some food," said Dean. "Now tell me what's wrong."

Laney gave her brother the most innocent look she could muster up. She didn't want to tell him that the pain in her leg was excruciating or that she felt sick. She at least wanted to find out what Gavin had dug up.

"Cut the crap little sister, I can tell something is wrong," said Dean gruffly.

Laney sighed. She knew her brother meant no harm. He was just being Dean; wanting to fix whatever was wrong.

"I was just thinking about my little fall in the bathroom," she said, hoping that her lie was coming out with a straight face.

Dean gave her an appraising look before he spoke. "I told you not to be embarrassed by it. You tried, it didn't go as planned and you'll try again." _And if you fall again, I'll be there to pick you up. I'll always be there to pick you up._

"I know…it's just, I can't even do something as simple as peeing. It's demoralizing."

"There you go with those big words again," joked Dean.

"I'm being serious Dean. I can't dress myself. I can barely feed myself. I can't stay awake for more than a couple hours at a time. You and Sammy are stuck here taking care of me instead of out there hunting that yellow-eyed bastard. Shit, you're not hunting anything. How many people are getting hurt or even killed because of me?"

Dean was slightly taken aback by his sister's outburst. He knew she'd been feeling pretty bad about having to rely on her brothers to take care of her every need. But he didn't realize how deep that guilt was running until now.

"It's not our job to save everyone," answered Dean, seriously. He grabbed her face and pulled it towards his. "Sammy and I aren't _stuck_ doing anything. You're our baby sister and we're going to take care of you while you need it. The rest of the world doesn't matter right now – just the three of us – that's all that matters. You need to stop with the guilt. Put yourself in our shoes. Would you do anything different?"

Laney swallowed the lump in her throat. No, she wouldn't do anything different. If it was Sammy or Dean laid up in the hospital she'd be there for them. Only their needs would be important. Screw the world. Hell, she'd been there for Dean more than once when he couldn't take care of himself. In spite of his pride, he'd let her, because he knew that was how it had to be.

One lone tear broke free from the dam. "No," she whispered.

Dean thumbed it away and smiled at her. "Of course not," he said.

Laney grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I love you Dean," she said quietly but firmly.

"Ditto kid." He kissed her on the cheek. _I love you more than you could possibly even imagine._

"Did I miss something?"

Dean turned towards the voice at the door. "About time Sammy, we're starving here."

Sam raised an eyebrow when he noticed his sister's tear stained face. But Dean gave him a look that told him that he would fill him in later.

"The diner was pretty busy," said Sam, without missing a beat.

He smiled at his sister. "Doc said it's okay for you to have some real food. You up for it?"

Laney's eyes lit up, despite how rough she was feeling. "Really?"

She hadn't though she was all that hungry, until she smelled the food Sam was carrying. Suddenly she felt famished. She'd only been allowed soft foods and liquids.

Sam pulled a Styrofoam container from one of the brown paper bags he was carrying. "Yup and they had your favorite."

He pulled the rolling tray over to her bed, while Dean raised her bed up to a sitting position.

With great ceremony and flourish Sam presented the container and opened it up.

"Waffles!" exclaimed Laney.

Dean and Sam both smiled widely at each other. It was so good to see that genuine bright smile from their sister. It was even better that was over something as seemingly innocuous as waffles.

Laney scooted up in the bed, biting her lip over the ever increasing pain in her leg. _Ignore, ignore, ignore the pain. These are pecan waffles we're about to partake in._

Dean noticed her grimacing but let it slide, not wanting to spoil the moment with what she would no doubt see as his incessant henpecking.

Sam drowned her waffles in syrup and butter, just the way she liked it, while Dean unwrapped her plastic utensils. He cut up the waffles into bite size pieces, ignoring her pout – which reminded him an awful lot of when she was a little girl – and handed her a fork.

"Eat up," he said with a wink.

Laney grumbled for a moment before she grabbed the fork and started in on her waffles. They were every bit as good as she expected.

Occasionally she let out a delighted moan. "So good," she said, her cheeks stuffed.

Sam laughed. "You sound like Dean when he eats."

"Hey, I appreciate fine cuisine," said Dean, taking a bite of his bacon cheeseburger and letting out an identical moan.

Laney chuckled and continued to eat, although she slowed down.

After the initial satisfying bites, her stomach was beginning to rumble unhappily. It went quickly from a little irritated to full blown pissed off. _Oh crap._

Dean noticed his sister had dropped her fork and stopped eating. "What's wrong?"

Sam got up from his chair. He noticed his sister was turning a special shade of green. Without a thought he grabbed an empty plastic basin and handed it to her. She grabbed it without a word, stuck it under her mouth, and promptly vomited.

Dean set his burger aside and got up to rub his sister's heaving back, wincing in sympathy with each gag. _Poor kid can't catch a break._

When she finally stopped, he picked up a napkin and wiped the sweat from her face.

"Maybe we should have taken it a bit slower with the food," said Dean, apologetically.

"You think?" Laney breathed out sarcastically.

"You okay?" asked Sam.

Laney offered a slow nod. She didn't feel the least bit okay. But she didn't want to make a scene. As it was, she could feel the tears pooling behind her eyes and she was tired of being a whiny mess.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke.

"I'm okay," she said firmly. She put the bucket on the rolling tray and pushed it away before settling back down in the bed and pulling the covers tightly around her body. She felt chilled to the bone and her little puking episode left her exhausted. And her leg still felt like a log on a fire.

Sam eyed her closely for a moment, before grabbing the bucket with the remnants of her briefly enjoyed meal and walking out of the room to dispose of it.

Dean frowned before he sat back down in his chair and picked up his burger again, taking a bite.

"How can you do that?" asked Laney, eyeing her brother.

Dean shrugged his shoulders and took another bite. Truth was he didn't feel much like eating anymore. Not because his sister had just chucked her food up right in front of his face, but because he was beginning to get really worried about her. Seemed like she should be getting better, but it was like one step forward, and two steps back. He figured if he kept eating she wouldn't pick up on his concern. She felt crappy enough as it was.

Sam returned to the room, not surprised at all that Dean was chowing down on his food.

Sam closed his container and put it aside. Laney felt a pang of guilt.

"Any word from Gavin?" she asked, pushing the guilt aside.

"He'll be over any time now," said Sam. "He called when I was out getting food."

Laney nodded and did her best to remain expressionless. She was looking forward to seeing him. It had been awhile since she seen him last; over a year. They'd kept in touch with the occasional e-mail and a phone call or two while she was at MIT, but not much else. She didn't know why, but she was looking forward to seeing him again. She liked him. He was smart and funny and good at what he did. He also easily got under Dean's skin, something that won points with her for some odd reason. He was a good friend and ally. That was all.

She grabbed the television remote and flipped it on. The room had a small television mounted in the corner of her room. It was the first time she'd turned it on. She flipped through the channels, trying to ignore the pain and the chills that continued to rack her body. _Just got to hang in there until Gavin gets here._

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Laney had been just about ready to cry uncle from the pain when there was a light knock at the door. Dean sighed heavily, having a pretty good idea of who it was.

"Come in," he said, grumpily.

Laney looked towards the door to see Gavin walk in. She wasn't feeling too sick not to notice that he was looking damn good; better than she remembered. His hair was chestnut colored and shoulder length, tied back in a ponytail. He was tall – although not freakishly tall like Sam – and well muscled. His athletic body came by way of strict and intense training in the martial arts. He was a computer nerd, who also happened to be a fierce hunter.

He cast his soft brown eyes her way and she thought she was going to melt. _Aw, geez, I'm getting all googly eyed. Must not let my overprotective brothers notice. They might kill him._

"Hey Gavin, thanks for coming," she said softly, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She knew without a doubt that she looked like death warmed over.

Gavin took in Laney's appearance. Her face was drawn and she looked pale and much thinner than he remembered. But he could still see the same beautiful soulful eyes that had transfixed him since the first time he'd met her. There was something about her that made him warm inside. But what, remained a mystery to him.

"No problem doll. I've got nothing better to do," he said with a wink.

Dean glared at him for a moment. Who did this kid think he was, calling his sister doll?

Sam shot his brother a look warning him to chill out. He knew well enough that Gavin was just trying to bait his brother and when it came to Laney that was pretty damn easy to do.

Dean cleared his throat loudly. "So, what did you find?"

Gavin gave Laney a knowing smile and an extra wink before turning to face her oldest brother.

He pulled out a file from the laptop bag he was carrying. When he looked up, Sam noticed the smile on his face had faded. _Well, that's not good._

"Not a thing," Gavin said as he handed Dean the file. "That woman is as clean as a preacher's sheets."

Dean eyed him closely. "You're sure? Nothing?"

"Absolutely, I spent hours. I traced her history back to birth, did background checks on everyone she's ever had any kind of relationship with, looked into her bank accounts, library accounts, credit cards, mortgages. I can tell you what size bra she wears and who her kindergarten crush was. But I can't tell you that she's got any kind of hidden agenda or that's she's dirty."

Sam and Dean glanced worriedly at their sister who staring at the wall like it was the most interesting thing in the world and clearly trying her damndest not to cry.

Gavin gave the boys an apologetic look before continuing. "She's legit, guys. She really thinks she's doing what's in the best interest of Laney. And she's tough, really tough. She has a lot of clout with the family court."

Dean swore under his breath.

Sam sat down hard in the chair next to his sister feeling defeated. It was so much easier to attack an enemy when the lines were more clearly defined. But this woman – if what Gavin said was true – was not an enemy within the usual definition they operated under. She was for all intents and purposes, an innocent who was doing her job, even if it happened to be trying to rip his family apart.

Dean would never hold the woman up to those rules; which made Sam alternately relieved and worried. They always operated on the periphery of the law. But even then they still had a personal code and they couldn't afford to have the law on their back with the kind of work they did.

"There are things we could do," offered Gavin, "To make her job really hard to nearly impossible."

Dean perked up at his words.

"Like what?" asked all three Winchesters simultaneously.

"Weird," Gavin muttered under his breath.

He'd seen it before between Dean and Laney. The way they often seemed to finish each other's sentences and the way they conversed without words. He'd only barely been around Sam up until a few days ago. But seeing the three siblings together was an interesting experience. The way they seemed to orbit around each other like planets pulled together by gravity. The way they looked at each other – all the unspoken words – completely understood. The love he could feel between them. He didn't have any siblings to compare them to. But he had a feeling that they were pretty damn unique.

Dean cleared his throat impatiently.

"Sorry," said Gavin, "Uh…well surprisingly they have a pretty sophisticated computer database they're using over in Child Protective Services. It's a Sim-Tech system."

"Whoa," said Laney, "Too bad it couldn't have been CompCom."

"Right," laughed Gavin, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Laney laughed lightly with him. The pain of the movement making her bit her lip hard.

"Am I missing something here?" asked Dean, gruffly.

"Sim-tech – top notch computer system," said Gavin.

"CompCom is like the Wal-Mart version of a computer system…a kindergartner could hack it. Dean could hack it," added Laney, ignoring her brother's dirty look. "Sim-tech on the other hand is like Fort Knox."

"So it can't be hacked," said Sam.

"I didn't say that," said Laney with a smirk. Her stomach rolled again.

Gavin smiled brightly at her. "I was hoping you'd say that. Not that I –"

"So why break into their system?" interrupted Dean.

Gavin offered Dean a look of supreme patience. "All of the case files are electronically stored in their system. They run a paperless operation. Any notes, pictures, documents, whatever, are scanned into their system and the originals are stored off-site and destroyed after a certain amount of time. If we can hack into their database we can erase the files, wreak havoc on the system, and ruin their case."

"What about the hard copies?" asked Sam.

"We can find out where they store them and destroy them," said Dean, matter of factly.

For the first time in days Laney felt a glimmer of real hope, even if it was tempered by a seriously nasty wave of nausea.

"It just so happens that I know where they store the hard copies – they contract out to a company – but I'm also betting that the social worker is holding on to a lot of the files at her private residence while she builds a case…stuff on her personal computer too."

"What do you say Sammy? Up for a little breaking and entering?" asked Dean with an all too eager smile.

"I can get on board with that," said Sam. He'd been itching just as much as Dean to get into a little action.

"Is it going to be enough? Gavin said this social worker is pretty tenacious. Doesn't seem like losing her files would put her out too much," said Laney, feeling light headed. She was too used to everything going wrong lately to really believe this was going to work in their favor.

"I think it would be enough time to get you better, out of the hospital," said Gavin, hopefully.

"Then we haul ass as far away as we can and drop off the radar. We're good at that when we have to be," added Dean.

"So all I need to do is hack into one of the most secure computer systems on the market, destroy some files and screw their network, while you and Sammy commit felony breaking and entering, get rid of the hard evidence and hope it buys enough time for me to get better and get the hell out of this hospital?"

Dean smiled brightly at his sister. "Piece of cake."

Laney barely returned the smile. They sure did love a challenge. And she had to admit that the thought of doing some real work was almost enough to put the fire in her leg out. Almost.

"We'd better get to work then," said Laney, eyeing the room. She felt like she might be in a need of that bucket again soon.

Laney looked up at Gavin. "You have what I need to work?"

He smiled and held up the laptop bag he was carrying. "I sure do."

"Sammy I know you said my laptop was smashed to bits, but did you save the pieces?"

Sam looked at her in surprise. "I did actually." He'd saved every last piece, even though he wasn't sure why at the time. It was probably for the same reason he'd kept the Impala from being turned to scrap metal – because they were both important to his siblings – an integral part of who they were.

"Good, I'll need it all." Just then the room seemed to tilt on its access. Laney gasped lightly.

Sam noticed immediately. His sister's eyes rolled around in her head for a moment and she blinked hard. She'd also gone awfully pale.

"You okay Laney?" he asked.

Dean's head whipped around to study his sister. She'd gone as white as her bed sheets. He rushed to her side.

"Room's spinning," she whispered.

Dean touched his hand to her forehead and noticed that she was incredibly warm. She obviously had a fever. That was not good at all. It was his job to notice these things. His job to make sure his sister got better and took it easy. He silently admonished himself.

"Shit," he looked at Sam, "She has a fever."

Sam slightly paled. He remembered how she'd felt warm before and he'd forgotten to mention it to Dean. He'd fallen asleep on the job and then totally forgot about it.

"M' fine," mumbled Laney. The room seemed to be settling down. But she felt measurably more ill than she had just minutes ago. She must have crossed some invisible threshold from feeling under the weather to full blown sick.

Gavin stood back watching the scene unfolding before him. He felt like an intruder, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He was worried about the youngest Winchester, for reasons he still hadn't figured out.

"Should I get a nurse or something?" he asked.

Sam and Dean both looked up at him in surprise. They'd forgotten he was even in the room, so intense was the focus on their little sister – the focus of their lives.

"Yeah…thanks," said Dean with a nod.

Gavin smiled tightly and left the room.

"I don't need a nurse," mumbled Laney.

"Uh huh, right. Be happy we called a nurse," said Dean, "It'll save you from the ass whipping you deserve for not telling us you were feeling sick."

"She was warm earlier, Dean. I fell asleep before I could mention it to you and then I totally forgot."

"Not your fault, Sammy. I didn't want you guys to know."

"Just how long have you been feeling sick?" bit out Dean. He was supposed to be the big brother – hunter extraordinaire – his little sister shouldn't have been able to put one over on him.

"Last day or so," whispered Laney.

"A day?" asked Dean, incredulously.

"Give or take."

Dean nodded his head in disgust. A whole day and he hadn't noticed.

Laney's lips trembled. Sam brushed her hair away from her face and she leaned into the touch.

Dean took a deep breath to calm himself. Now was not the time for self-recriminations or blame. He needed to be strong for his sister. He sat down in the chair next to her and grabbed her hand.

Someone walked in the door. They were all surprised to see that it was Rachel.

"Hey Rachel," said Dean, standing up to give her a quick hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at the nurses' station chatting with one of the girls when a young gentleman said that Laney wasn't feeling too well. Thought I'd come in and check on her."

Laney smiled faintly, but genuinely. She was the only nurse she liked.

"So what's up?" asked Rachel.

"She has a fever… said the room was spinning," said Sam.

"Any nausea or vomiting?" asked Rachel.

"Yeah, actually, she threw up earlier. We just thought it was too soon for diner food," said Dean, again kicking himself. He'd let another clue slip by.

"Hmm…let's take your temp." Rachel pulled a digital thermometer from the wall and pulled the blood pressure machine over. She wrapped the cuff around Laney's arm and offered a comforting smile.

The thermometer beeped quickly. Rachel's eyebrow shot up in concern.

"What is it?" asked Dean, noticing her reaction.

"103.3"

Dean cursed under his breath. Sam reached out touched his sister's face again cursing himself for his oversight.

"Blood pressure is up too. How are you feeling otherwise?" asked Rachel.

"My leg…it feels like its on fire –it hurts pretty bad," said Laney, just above a whisper. She was beginning to have a difficult time maintaining consciousness. .

Dean and Sam both looked at each other with extreme concern. She'd been in pain and hadn't said a word. _Goddamn stubborn ass sister._

"Okay," said Rachel, "Let's see what we have here." She pulled down the several blankets covering Laney which made her shiver from the sudden cold.

Dean grabbed her hand to comfort her while Sam stroked her hair. Laney immediately felt the warmth they provided – the comfort of knowing they were there with her and they wouldn't let anything bad happen.

Rachel winced when she pulled her gown up to get a look at the casted leg.

Dean and Sam both silently freaked. The top of her leg was an angry red color, puffy and swollen. No doubt, there was a serious infection going on.

"What is it?" asked Laney, picking up on the tension in the room.

"Looks like your leg might be infected, sweetie," answered Rachel.

Laney's eyes widened with worry.

"I'm going to call the doctor in right away."

"Is it bad?" asked Laney. Maybe she'd gone about the whole thing all wrong. If she'd just bought herself more time in the hospital then she had committed a serious error in judgment.

"Try not worry. We'll run some tests and to get a better idea. You lay back and you get some rest and let us take care of you now. I'll be right back."

Laney nodded and watched her walk out the door. She noticed Gavin hovering beyond the door in the hallway with a worried look on his face. For some reason that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

She looked up into two very worried brothers faces. "I'm sorry…didn't want to worry you guys."

"Bang up job on that shorty," said Dean, with a smile.

"I guess I'm not as smart as I thought."

"Don't beat yourself up," said Sam.

"Yeah, just lay back and rest. You'll get some good drugs and you'll be good as new," said Dean. He grabbed a washcloth from the bedside and walked to the bathroom. When he returned it was soaked with ice cold water. He planted a kiss on her hot forehead before placing the cloth. "Go to sleep kiddo."

She grabbed her brother's hand tightly. "Don't leave okay?"

"We're not going anywhere," he answered squeezing her hand tightly.

For now everything was on hold. All that mattered was that his sister got better. And until then there wasn't anywhere he wanted to be.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to all of those celebrating today! Thanks again for all the love I've received for this story. So much more to come!**

Chapter 32

Dean watched his sister closely. Her cheeks were flushed bright red in startling contrast to the rest of her pale and nearly translucent skin. Her fever had been creeping slowly upwards for the past couple of hours despite the antibiotics and other medications being pumped through her veins. It was high enough now and her vital signs unstable enough that they were arranging for a move back to the ICU. Not the direction he wanted to see her going. Backwards. These days they always seemed to be going backwards.

Laney moaned, her head rolling listlessly from side to side. She was muttering incoherently in her sleep. She woke up from her feverish state in short spurts, confused and in pain, looking at her big brother with her large pleading eyes, silently begging him to make it better .

The orthopedic surgeon and intensive care doctors both came by to examine her and their words were guarded and not entirely encouraging. Laney had a massive infection in her leg and she wasn't fighting it very well. Her body was already weakened from her other injuries sustained in the accident and even though they'd been healing well she still had a long way to go to normal. The spleen she'd lost was important in fighting infection. The deck was stacked against her.

Their current plan of attack was intensive antibiotic therapy and time. There had been a brief mention of the possibility of surgery on her leg, but Dean and Sam had been too distracted for it to really register. Their sister had gone from teasing them just a day earlier to once again being embroiled in yet another fight for her life. It was so freaking unfair.

Laney moaned again, her casted arm coming up to touch her face. "D'n," she mumbled. "S-s-sm."

Dean reached up and grabbed her arm and pushed it back down to her side. "Whoa kid, don't go giving yourself a black eye." He chuckled softly.

"D'n…hurts," she mumbled.

"I know sweetie, we're trying to help you. You just need to rest. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Sammy's okay, he just went out to get one of his girly coffee drinks," joked Dean. Although his heart was breaking on the inside, he kept his voice light, for his sister's sake.

Even in her feverish haze she seemed to comprehend him and she stilled her movements and her breathing became more rhythmic as she fell back into a fairly peaceful sleep.

He leaned back in his chair and ran his free hand through his hair in a tired gesture. He checked his watch. Sam had been gone for about thirty minutes. He would give him ten more before he called to check up on him.

Laney's hand twitched in his as a shiver passed through her. They'd stripped her down to nothing but her gown in order to help keep her fever down, not that it seemed to be helping much. He watched her face pinch in a painful grimace. The nurses had done their best to keep her leg completely immobilized. The movement the shivering from the fever caused sent tremors of pain through her leg. Early on she'd screamed out in pain more than once.

Dean shushed his sister and caressed her face until she calmed down once again, glad that he still had some power to affect her recovery. As long as she kept responding to him, her illness could be managed.

He glanced at his watch again. _Okay Sammy, you've got five more minutes._

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Sam swirled the stirrer around his cup of coffee, making probably the thousandth rotation through the muddy darkness. Time and caffeine hadn't done a thing to squelch the guilt he was still feeling. Dean attempting to shoulder the blame hadn't done a thing either. It was true that Dean was the big brother and a surrogate parent to him and Laney. But he was also a big brother to his sister. He always got to be just her brother – not the parent like Dean – and it was a job that he'd always taken seriously. Even when he went off to Stanford, he never stopped thinking about her. She seemed to understand him in some subtle ways that not even Dean did. And she understood him infinitely better than their father had. She was the one he'd confided in about his college dreams and his desire for a career in law. She was the only one who hadn't laughed at him or tried to talk him out of it. She'd given him her blessing and wished him well.

He had failed her. Not just in this case, but he'd been failing her, ever since he'd gone off to college. He'd cut off ties with his father and barely stayed in contact with Dean. Mostly because he knew that it would be too easy to get sucked back in to the life. He needed a clean cut in order to make a proper go of a normal life. Cutting his sister off had not been part of that plan, but it had kind of happened with time and circumstance. She'd tried though to keep a link between them. She'd never given up. She updated him on the family's whereabouts, on cases they'd worked on, injuries sustained, illnesses defeated. She'd sent him cards for every holiday and pictures of their travels. She'd sent him handwritten notes and care packages. They texted, emailed, had the occasional phone call. Even when his responses became less and less frequent, she never stopped. She never seemed hurt by it or discouraged by his lack of response. But she'd continued doing it as if to say – I understand and I still love you.

She was the glue that had kept them all somehow connected, despite how much they all had seemed to be drifting apart in those days when he'd gone away. When Dean and their Dad started hunting separately, he wondered how much it hurt his sister to have to basically choose sides. And yet he'd learned from his brother that she never made it seem that way. That even in all that distance she'd still kept them whole.

The phone in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out, his chest tightening when he saw Dean on the caller ID.

"Dean, is everything okay?"

 _"_ _Dude, it's the same. Did you get lost on the way to the coffee shop?"_

Sam smiled at the obvious relief lacing his brother's voice. He must have scared him. He looked at the time. He'd been gone longer than he'd planned.

"Sorry, I'm on my way back. See you in five."

 _"_ _Don't forget my coffee. None of that pansy ass shit either."_

Dean clicked off the phone. Sam frowned slightly. Despite the expected smart ass comment, there was an edge to it that he didn't like. He recognized it not just as worry, but as fear. If his brother was afraid, then things couldn't be good.

He hurriedly got a large black coffee to go and hauled ass back to the hospital.

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"Here you go, extra hot," said Sam, as he walked into Laney's room.

He glanced at his sister's tiny frame. She seemed smaller than she had when she had left. How was that even possible?

"Thanks," said Dean, absently. He grabbed the offered cup from his brother's hand and took a sip, sparing his brother only a brief, but appraising glance before returning his gaze to his sister.

"Any more news?" asked Sam, softly as he took up residence in the seat opposite his brother.

Dean sighed tiredly. "They're getting her a room ready up in the ICU."

Sam's eyes widened in panic.

"The ICU? That bad?"

"They can't get the fever down. They're worried about the infection getting into her bloodstream."

"Septicemia," said Sam. They hadn't spent their lives in and out of the hospital for various injuries without learning a thing or two.

"Yeah," said Dean, looking away.

Sam began stroking his sister's hair. Things were getting bad very fast. An infection in her leg was bad enough. But the infection getting into her to blood – well that was beyond bad. It was deadly.

Laney shivered under her brother's touch, moaning again in pain from the movement.

Both of her brothers shushed her. Dean smiled when she relaxed more quickly than she had earlier. Clearly, having both brothers by her side was better than one.

"What are we going to about the social worker?" asked Sam. Obviously they weren't going to be able to move forward with their plan just yet.

Dean shook his head and shrugged. "I guess we're just going to have to play it straight for now."

Sam snorted. Play it straight? Since when did Dean Winchester play anything straight?

"We can't afford any distraction right now," Dean said. He knew exactly what his little brother was thinking.

"Of course not," agreed Sam.

He would have to let Gavin know. It hadn't gone unnoticed by him that he was still hanging around the hospital. He'd seen him lingering in the waiting room when he'd gone out for coffee and pacing the hospital lobby when he'd returned. For now though, he couldn't bring himself to leave his sister again. He continued to stroke her hair while Dean ran his fingers up and down her good arm in a comforting gesture.

Neither brother spoke or looked at each other as they held silent vigil at their little sister's bedside.

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"I'm sorry to see you guys again. Like this anyway."

"I know. But I'm glad we've got the best nurse in the hospital again," said Dean. He watched as Rachel got Laney reconnected to the ICU monitors.

When she finished she patted Dean's arm gently in a motherly gesture that made his heart ache slightly. He was so used to taking care of everyone else, that he didn't realize how much he needed assurances until they were offered.

"You know the drill. Call button and all that. We're doing vitals every fifteen minutes, so I won't be far anyway."

"Every fifteen?" asked Sam.

"Yeah…that fever of hers is stubborn as I've ever seen. It's not responding well to the meds. Holding steady at 104.1."

"It hasn't gone up in the last hour though, so that's good right?" asked Dean, hopefully.

"It's not bad. But the longer her fever is up, the worse the toll on her body and recovery."

Dean nodded. At least they were still using recovery and his sister's name in the same sentence.

"I'll be back in a few," she said with a smile. "In the meantime, just wipe her down with the cool washcloths from time to time."

Sam and Dean both nodded at her as she walked out the door.

"She won't be happy when she wakes up," said Sam.

Dean gave him a questioning look.

"When she wakes up back in the ICU," said Sam, with a wan smile.

Dean smiled. "No she won't."

He didn't care, a pissed sister was better than a dead sister. He winced inwardly at the thought. _Shouldn't use those two words together – ever._

"Gavin's out in the waiting room," said Sam. Not because he was trying to piss his brother off, but more because he hoped his sister could hear it. He wasn't blind to the fact that Laney seemed a bit sweet on the guy. Even if he was older than her – it wasn't by much. In just less than a year she'd be 18 and he would be 22. That was hardly a gap at all. And Sam, as much as he didn't really like to think of his sister romantically involved with anyone – approved.

Dean on the other hand…

"Didn't you tell him he could leave? That we weren't going to be making a move right now."

Sam shrugged. "He doesn't care about any of that."

Dean glared at his brother.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Dean growled.

"Seriously, dude she's growing up. Most girls her age have dated or have boyfriends. Are you really going to never let that happen?"

"We're hunters Sam. We don't date. We don't have relationships," bit out Dean.

His voice softened at his little brother's expression. Of course his little brother knew all too well the price of attempting a normal relationship with an outsider. He'd lost the woman he loved and intended to marry.

Dean waited for his brother to meet his gaze and offered him an apologetic look.

Sam got the message and sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be this way for her too."

"The family business is what she's always wanted," said Dean.

"It's all she's really known," said Sam.

"Not really. I mean, she got her chance. She went to college for awhile and it didn't change her mind," said Dean a bit defensively, with a roll of his eyes. _Not this conversation again._

If it was a good enough life for him – why not his sister? She wasn't stupid or naïve by any means. She'd never wanted anything other than to be a hunter – side by side with her big brother.

Dean looked at his sister's bright red face and all the tubes and wires coming from her tiny frame. _Yeah, and look what its cost her._

"I wish it could be different," said Dean, looking at Sam. "I wish that both of you could have normal lives. I wish –"

"I know, Dean. I know…You did the best you could for her and for me. Dad didn't make it easy. But you always tried anyway."

Dean quickly swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He picked up one of the wash cloths and dipped in the cool water and wiped down his sister's face. He could feel the heat penetrating the cloth. She stirred slightly at the coolness.

Sam watched his brother quietly. He felt nothing but love stirring in him. Love and pride. This was his big brother – who had always done the right thing for him and Laney. The only person he wanted watching his back – one of the last two people on the face of the Earth that he trusted implicitly. More than ever as he watched his brother wiping his sister down, he realized how much Laney needed to survive, for the both of them. Without his sister, Dean would be absolutely lost and Sam wasn't sure that even he would be enough to save him.

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"104.7," said Rachel. This time she was unable to keep the worry out her voice.

Dean stood up and looked at the display closely, disbelieving. It had holding at 104.1 just an hour ago. He really didn't need to look at the numbers to believe it. If the heat rolling off his sister's body wasn't enough to clue him in, the whimpers and moans coming from Laney much more frequently were.

She was obviously in more pain and the few incoherent rumblings he'd been able to understand had included the words, fire and hot. A couple of times she'd called out for Dad.

Sam paced the small space by the foot of her bed, one hand never leaving his sister's foot. As if losing touch with her would make him lose her altogether.

"What now?" asked Dean, his voice going up a notch.

"I'm going to page the doctor. In the meantime we'll give her a sponge bath with cool water."

Dean nodded. Rachel went off to make her calls and get the necessary items.

Laney cried out in pain, her good hand flailing aimlessly above her head. "D-eeean. Help."

Dean grabbed her hand and held it to his face. "I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm right here. Take it easy. We're going to cool you off."

He pulled up the edge of her gown to take a look at her leg. It was a bright red and puckering, blistering mess. It was horribly swollen.

Sam noticed and blanched at the sight. Things were going to hell in a hand basket – and fast.

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The entire orthopedic team had shown up in Laney's room within minutes. Much to Sam and Dean's annoyance, they spoke of her in that distant tone doctors often speak – like she was just a case study and not a real person.

Her fever refused to give and her leg was swollen and seriously infected. Dean listened closely to their hurried and hushed discussion at Laney's bedside. When he caught the words, operation and possible amputation, he'd nearly lost it.

"Will you people please tell me what's going on and stop talking about her like she's not in the room?" demanded Dean.

She didn't need to hear their bold pessimism. Even if she couldn't hear them – he didn't want to hear it either.

"Mr. Winchester, we're just discussing all the options on the table. We need to make a decision fast. Time is of the essence."

"What are the options?" Dean demanded again.

"First off, we have to remove the cast in order to help relieve the swelling."

"Will you put a new one on?"

"No, we'll keep it off. Clean up the leg… investigate how bad the tissue has been affected by the infection."

"Okay, so get the cast off. What are you waiting for?"

The doctor sighed heavily. "Mr. Winchester, we obviously don't want to operate when she has a fever, especially one this high. It's extremely dangerous. But if the infection is that bad, operating may be her only hope and it may be a risk we have to take."

"What kind of surgery?" Dean asked, audibly swallowing.

He noticed that Sam had come to stand next to him, shoulders touching slightly. He was grateful for the comfort, even though he knew he was doing it for himself as much as for his brother.

"Let's cross that bridge if and when we come to it."

"Doc, no bullshit. What are we talking here?"

"If the infection is deep and has infiltrated the bone…amputation. We're talking about amputation."

"Amputation?" asked Sam. His voice came out in a squeak.

Dean stared at the surgeon, unable to even formulate a thought, much less words.

"Yes, we might have to take the leg, to save her life…and still, that's not even a guarantee."

Sam's eyes glassed over with tears.

Dean came back to Earth when he heard his brother's sharp intake of breath. He had to be strong for both of them.

"We're going to do everything we can. Right now, we're going to remove her cast and see what we're dealing with first."

Dean nodded slowly.

"We're going to take her the operating room."

Dean nodded again, wincing when he realized his little brother was gripping his shoulder tightly and painfully.

"When are you taking her?" asked Sam, his voice tight.

"Right now. You can walk with us to the elevator."

"Okay."

The medical staff released the brakes off her bed and began plugging her wires into the portable monitors to accommodate the move.

Sam and Dean both stood on one side of her. The staff making room so they could be near her. They'd noticed how her brothers being near seemed to calm not only her brief moments of semi-consciousness but her heart rate and respirations were better.

They quickly wheeled her out the door. When they reached the elevators, they paused for a moment to allow the boys a few moments with their sister.

They both leaned down to kiss their sister on her burning cheek.

"Hey, kiddo, we'll be here when you get back, okay? Be a good girl. Don't give them any trouble," Dean whispered in her ear. "I love you."

"I love you, baby. You can fight this. You can," said Sam. He placed another kiss on her forehead, but held on to her hand, even as the elevator doors opened.

Dean grabbed his brother's arm to pull it away. He didn't want to say goodbye either. But this wasn't goodbye – this was a see you later.

Dean cupped the back of his brother's head with his hand in a gesture of comfort. It was a close to a hug as he was going to give in mixed company.

Sam seemed to appreciate it and gave his brother a grateful smile.

Dean turned around to walk back to his sister's room for the agonizing wait when noticed a familiar face in the waiting room.

"Gavin, what are you still doing here? I told you to go home."

Gavin tentatively approached him. Dean noticed his eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. Could it be possible that he was as worried about Laney as they were? Why? It didn't make sense to him. They were just friends. Dean felt an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of stomach. Jealousy?

"I just wanted to get an update. They won't really tell me anything."

"Only family allowed," said Dean, hoping the words stung. He was angry and scared and he needed to take it out on someone.

Sam took pity on him though and gave him the quick update. Gavin's face paled noticeably.

"I called Bobby," he said after a moment.

Dean looked up at him. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"I…I know…how close Laney is to him…how close you are to him. I just thought I'd fill him in," said Gavin, unsure of himself.

Dean seemed to notice. This was a side of the young hunter he hadn't seen before. He was scared, and not for himself.

Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Dean shook his head at the thought. That was still to be decided.

Sam looked at his brother. "I'll call him back and update him."

Dean nodded and sighed heavily. He didn't have the energy left to hate on the guy.

"I guess you can stay if you want. We'll keep you posted," he said. He didn't like him. It may have been unfair of him, probably was unfair. But in any case, his sister obviously liked him, even if she tried to hide it. If it might make her get better knowing this guy was around, than that's all that mattered.

"Thanks," said Gavin. He took a seat and settled in for the long haul.

Dean walked back to his sister's room; the lump in his throat painfully hard. No matter what he did, it wouldn't go away. Coming back to the room and his sister not being there was harder than he could have imagined. Not being with her, afraid she'd wake up and see that he wasn't there and freak out. He'd promised her after all. He'd promised Dad.

Tears sprung from his eyes unabated. He couldn't control it if he tried. He was faintly aware of the familiar presence entering the room. He felt the oversized hands of his little brother on his back.

Sam tentatively put an arm around his brother. He knew Dean wasn't into physical displays of affection, especially with a little brother that had a few inches and several pounds on him, but he didn't care. He just squeezed him tighter. Big brothers needed comfort too.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

It had been a couple hours of frantically pacing the ICU room floor; Dean looking over at the door constantly waiting for his little sister to be rolled back in from the operating room, hopefully alive and whole. Sam sat in the chair near the space that held her bed nervously bouncing his legs up and down like he had since he was a kid. Every once in a while he'd steal a scared glance at his big brother trying to catch his gaze, hoping for some measure of comfort. Why he thought Dean would be capable of that at the moment he didn't know; maybe because he always had been the comforter, the supporter – the rock. But now his brother looked as lost as he felt; floating and adrift without his anchor – without their sister.

Sam was about to beg his brother to sit down because he was only making him more nervous than he already was – like that was even possible – but then in walked Laney's surgeon.

"How is she? Is she okay?" asked Dean, immediately bombarding the doctor with questions.

Sam jumped up from his chair and stood behind his brother; his hand went to his shoulder and stayed there.

The doctor put up his hands in a calming gesture. "She's okay. She's in recovery and she'll be back here shortly."

"Recovery? What happened? Did you have to remove…." Dean couldn't finish the question. The words refused to leave his mouth.

"No, we didn't have to amputate."

Sam squeezed his brother's shoulder tightly. They both let out a deep sigh of relief.

The surgeon smiled grimly, confusing the brothers for a moment, before continuing.

Their relief suddenly tempered, Sam almost had to take a seat, his legs trembling. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I assure you she's fine now, but…she…uh…she did go into cardiac arrest early on in the procedure. We only had to perform CPR very briefly before we got her back, so I don't expect any ill effects."

"Cardiac arrest?" Dean breathed out heavily. Like their father.

"But she's okay," continued the surgeon quickly. "She stabilized quickly and we were able to continue on with the procedure. We removed the cast and found the source of infection in one of the surgical sites where we implanted a screw, but it was all soft tissue and no bone, so we didn't have to take the leg. We drained the site and cleaned it up and have dressed it. We'll leave the cast off and use a different kind of brace for the leg."

"And the fever?" asked Sam. He couldn't even process the fact that his sister had basically died on the table. It was too much. He was going to have to focus on the fact that she was alive now.

He glanced at Dean who was still extremely pale and put a hand on his back just in case he was going to pass out.

"It's down considerably and continuing to drop. We've got her on the strongest intravenous antibiotics out there and now that we've cleaned out the infected area I think we should see her start to turn around pretty quickly. She's already doing miles and away better than we expected."

Dean shook his head in disbelief. Two hours ago he was almost sure he was going to lose his sister – shit he'd just been told he briefly had – and now it sounded like all was going to be okay.

"So are you saying she'll be okay?" asked Sam. The guy had already said as much, but he still couldn't believe it. How do you follow up, hey your sister died for a minute there but it's a-okay now?

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it. But she seems to have turned a corner. She still has quite a bit of physical therapy in her future, but I don't see any long term complications."

"Thank you, doc, really," said Sam, grabbing and shaking the surgeons hand.

"It's my pleasure, believe me… I don't normally get attached to my patients, but I really like Delaney, she's a good egg."

"Sure is," agreed Dean with a bright smile.

The surgeon left the room with a smile. When they were alone in the room again Dean turned around and playfully slapped Sam in the back.

"I told you she'd be okay," he said.

"Oh, yeah, you didn't seem worried at all," said Sam, sarcastically.

"Nope, never had a doubt," said Dean, with a laugh. A laugh that Sam noticed was a bit shaky.

"She's really going to be okay," said Sam, to reassure himself as much as his brother. Despite Dean's sudden playfulness he knew just how terrified he'd been. Their father's death was still so fresh and that was a wound they hadn't even begun to deal with.

"She's a monster pain in the ass though," said Dean with a wistful smile.

"Isn't that the truth," said Sam.

Dean took a seat his legs feeling heavy and weak. The roller coaster of emotions was a little much to handle and his body was letting him know.

"I think I'll go let Gavin know the good news," said Sam, "And call Bobby who is probably half way here by now. Don't want him to crash on the interstate."

Sam cursed himself silently when he noticed Dean noticeably wince at his choice of words. Sometimes it was easy to forget.

Sam cleared his throat nervously. "I'll…uh…I'll be back in a few."

"Yeah, okay."

His brother was out of the room not more than five seconds before the waterfall of tears started falling. He'd been holding it in, trying to keep cool, when all he wanted to do was break down and sob and cry and wail and scream at everyone and everything for the screwed up life they had; curse God for taking away his father and letting his sister suffer so much. He wanted to take it out on someone or something. For the first time in a few weeks, he really wanted a good hunt – wanted to be back out on the highway behind the wheel of his beloved car with his brother and sister doing good things in the world.

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"Wow, I'm not surprised though. She's a tough cookie," said Gavin, after getting the news that Laney was going to be okay.

"Yeah she is. She'll be back from recovery in awhile. I'm sure I can get them to bend the rules so you can visit her when she's awake," said Sam.

"I'd appreciate that Sam, really. I…uh…I'm happy for you and Dean. I know how crazy he is about Laney."

"We all are," said Sam. This guy wasn't fooling anyone.

"She's a great kid," said Gavin.

 _Uh-huh, sure. Just a kid._

"I'll give you a call once she's up for a visit. I'm sure once she's on her feet, so to speak, we'll want to get back to business."

"Of course, I'll be back at the motel just call me anytime," said Gavin.

"Sure thing."

Sam shook his hand and walked off to find a private corner to call Bobby. He smiled knowingly when he noticed that instead of leaving, Gavin just sat back down in his seat in the waiting room.

 _Sucker._

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"Here she comes," said Rachel, opening the ICU room door for the nurses and sounding like she was introducing the next Miss America.

Sam and Dean both jumped out of their chairs barely able to contain their excitement.

The second Laney's bed entered the doorway neither of them took an eye off of her. Dean did a quick assessment. She was still dressed in just a gown, but the bulky cast on her leg was gone, in its place a heavy dressing. She looked as if she was enjoying a peaceful slumber; her face not betraying that she was in any kind of pain. Although her cheeks were still a bit of a rosy red her overall color looked much better. The sickly pale pallor she'd had when she left was gone. She didn't look like she was at death's door anymore. She looked like she was taking a nap. He exchanged a wide smile with his brother, who had obviously just completed his own assessment.

"She's had some pretty heavy duty sedation, but she'll probably start to come around pretty soon," said Rachel.

"Thanks Rachel," said Sam.

"No problem, sweetie. Call me if you need anything."

Once the nursing staff had finished setting Laney up Dean strode right up to the bed and gave his sister a kiss on her forehead. He ran his hands over her as if he was trying to reassure himself she still had all her parts and pieces.

"Hey kiddo, you know you are making me way too old before my time, right?"

Sam smiled. "No kidding." He grabbed his sister's hand and squeezed tightly.

Dean brushed his hand across his sister's forehead. She was still warm, but it was downright arctic compared to what she'd felt like before. He relaxed and took a seat next to her. Sam did the same and both of them simply watched her as if they she might disappear if either one of them looked away.

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Unlike the first time she'd woken up after being unconscious, this time Laney had no real grogginess or confusion. When her eyes came open she had complete recall of what had happened to her, right down to briefly flatlining in the operating room. That part didn't scare her all that much. After all, she'd died many times recently, thanks to her new gifts.

She turned her head to the right and saw Dean sleeping with his head against the back of the chair and his feet up on the edge of her bed. On her left as she expected was Sam. His upper body was resting on the end of her bed. She could see with what little pale light filtered into the room, the dark circles under their eyes. Poor guys needed proper sleep in a real bed and not in a chair. She'd argue for it, but she knew she wouldn't win. She didn't expect they'd leave her side any time soon and really she didn't want them too. She figured it was okay for her to be a little selfish for now.

She smiled widely. God, how much she loved the both of them.

Instead of waking them, she laid in the darkness listening to their soft breathing and enjoying the quiet and the calm. She did a quick self-assessment. Her leg was slightly sore, but nothing compared to before. Otherwise, oddly enough, she felt better than she had in the last couple of weeks. And she was alive.

She knew why and it had nothing to do with a medical miracle.

"Dean," she whispered. She reached out and grabbed his foot and shook it. He instantly awakened, pulling his feet off the bed suddenly enough to awaken Sam – whose head snapped up. His hair was a big floppy mess.

Laney softly chuckled at the sight. Sam needed a haircut – badly.

"Hey, shrimp, how are you?" asked Dean, with a smile. He picked up her hand and squeezed.

"I feel really good," she said.

Dean was about to ask if she was telling the truth. But her voice was genuine and she did in fact look really good. Within an hour of being back from recovery her fever had completely dissipated. Her vitals were stable and her leg had improved, much to everyone's surprise. If she remained that way for the next 24 hours, the doctors were going to transfer her back to a regular room.

"Well, I'm not surprised," said Dean, with a wink. "You are a Winchester."

Sam patted her head. "Yup, not only the smartest, but the strongest too."

"It wasn't all me," said Laney.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam, confused.

Laney looked at him and then Dean seriously. There was no easy or non shocking way to put it. "There was something in the operating room with me."

Dean stood up, all his senses immediately on high alert.

"Come again?" he asked

"I felt it Dean. You haven't forgotten about my abilities have you?"

"No of course not," he answered a bit too defensively. Actually he had. It hadn't been much of thought as she'd been laid up for nearly two weeks now.

"What happened Laney?" asked Sam seriously.

"I was pretty out of it you know when we got to the operating room. They hadn't sedated me yet, but I could sense a – uh – presence in the room. It wasn't evil though," she said quickly when she noticed their eyes widen.

"It was good. It was a spirit or a ghost – a woman – she saved my life. When my heart stopped, she brought me back."

Dean shook his head. He was speechless.

"How do you know that baby?" asked Sam, since Dean couldn't seem to find his voice.

"I don't know, Sammy. I just do. My abilities – I – uh- you know, don't know exactly how they work. But she spoke to me, in my head. I heard her voice loud and clear and I could feel her energy. She told me that everything would be okay and then it was. She said she needed me to help her."

"Help her what?"

"I don't know. She didn't say."

Dean finally broke out of his stupor. "Well that's convenient."

Laney frowned deeply.

"Why didn't she just tell you who she was?" he half-joked.

"Dean, this is serious. I already feel like the freaking Ghost Whisperer here. I need your help."

"You're much better looking than that Jennifer Love Hewitt chick," he said with a smirk.

"Dean," admonished Sam.

"Sorry…I'm not trying to make light of this, it's just I don't understand it kiddo. I mean you just told us that a spirit saved your life. I can't say that I've ever heard that one before."

"I know – believe me, it's new to me. I don't know why she didn't just tell me who she was or what I'm supposed to help her with. I mean spirits are usually pretty cryptic aren't they?"

She wouldn't know for sure. Everything she knew, she'd read about or hear about second hand from her father or brothers. She had little direct involvement with a non-demon supernatural being.

"Well no, they're not usually very chatty," said Sam.

"Yeah, cause they're usually trying to kill you," snorted Dean.

"Guys, this spirit, whoever she was, saved my life. I'm telling you. I was dying. I was dead for a minute. And she saved me. And I can't ignore her request for help. I can still feel her in my head. She's around and we have to do something. It's what we do."

Dean swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, exchanging a glance with his brother. If this thing, whatever it was, had saved his sister's life, than they owed it. Big time.

"Of course kiddo, we'll do what we can," said Dean, finally.

"Thank you," she said with a sigh and a smile. "We might need some help on this one," she added.

"Probably," said Sam, "Bobby's should be here by morning."

"Bobby's coming?" asked Laney, pleasantly surprised. She hadn't seen him since before the accident, although she'd been told he'd watched over her for awhile.

"Couldn't keep him away," said Dean.

"Gavin's still around too," added Sam.

Dean rolled his eyes.

Laney smiled brightly. "Well, you should call him too, maybe he can help."

"I won't have to call him," said Sam. "He hasn't left the hospital since you got sick. He's been out in the waiting room this whole time."

"Really?" she asked, trying not to squeal. For whatever reason, that bit of news left butterflies in her stomach. She hated feeling like a silly little schoolgirl. She was after all, a genius teenager with a full scholarship at MIT. But she couldn't help it.

Dean rolled his eyes again. Oh hail the conquering hero. Big deal.

"Yeah baby, he was pretty worried. He's a good guy," said Sam, more as a jab to his big brother.

"Yeah, he is. We can use his help. And we still have the social worker to deal with too," she said.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves here," interjected Dean. "Laney, you just went through some serious shit here. I know you're feeling good and I'll admit that you look great. But still, you need to rest. You have to take it easy for a while. You're not going anywhere anytime soon, so we can take this slow, okay?"

"Okay."

Dean did a double take. Did his sister really just agree with him without an argument?

She just smiled at him.

"Okay…okay…good," he said slowly and suspiciously.

"Can I get something to eat at least?" she asked.

Dean threw her another surprised look – this was too weird – seeing his sister so well and upbeat.

"We'll have to ask the nurse," said Sam, shrugging his shoulders at his brother.

"Can you? And can you ask Gavin to come see me too?"

Dean frowned at his sister before meeting his brother's questioning gaze. He thought about it for a moment.

"Fine," he said with resignation.

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"Hey Sam, I was just going to call you."

"Oh, well Laney's awake and she'd like to see you."

Gavin gave him a small smile. "I'm glad she's awake but I just got a call from my Mom – some kind of – uh – family emergency and I've got to hit the road now."

"Everything alright? Do you need any help?" asked Sam, concerned.

"I'm sure it's nothing too bad but I have to leave immediately. Here," he said, handing Sam a bag. "It's a laptop. Everything I got on Cheryl Wiseman and CPS is in there. If you have any questions just give me a call."

"Are you sure you have to run right this second? You don't want to say goodbye to Laney real quick?"

Gavin was already rushing towards the elevators. "I can't, sorry. I'll be in touch."

"Let me know how everything turns out."

"Yeah, okay. Bye," he waved, the elevator doors closing on him.

"Well, that was weird," muttered Sam.

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"Good news," said Sam, walking into Laney's room. "You've got the go –"

"Shhhh," interrupted Dean, as he pointed a finger at Laney, who was fast asleep.

"Sorry," whispered Sam, nodding his head. "I've only been gone like three minutes. She was wide awake."

Dean smiled and shrugged. "I know, we were talking and she started dozing off."

He glanced at the door. "Where's Romeo?" he asked with a smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes. " _Gavin_ split town – some kind of family emergency – he left me all this stuff."

"That's weird," said Dean.

"I know, I was thinking the same thing."

Dean shrugged and smiled brightly. "That's okay we don't really need him anyway."

"Laney will be disappointed."

"She'll get over it," he said, with a dismissive wave. "What about Bobby?"

"He should be here in the next hour or two."

"Well that's good. It'll give the kid a chance to rest before we start any research. Besides which, I'm hungry."

Sam smiled, overjoyed to hear the lightness back in his brother's voice. "You want me to go grab something from the diner. They said it was okay for Laney to eat as long as she felt up to it."

"Nah, it's okay Sammy, I'll go."

"You sure?" he asked, surprised. Dean hadn't left their sister's side in a couple of days.

Dean looked over his sister once more. Apparently satisfied with what he saw. "Yeah, I'm sure. I could use the fresh air and I think she'll be alright without me for a bit. If she wakes up while I'm out she'll just have to settle for her second favorite brother."

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"Where's Dean?"

Sam sat up suddenly, startled by his sister's clear and strong voice. She'd been sound asleep thirty seconds ago.

"He went out to grab some food and run some errands," answered Sam with a smile. He brushed Laney's hair away from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. My leg aches a little, but you know, compared to before, it's really nothing."

"Scout's honor?"

"I've never been a scout Sammy. But yes, I swear."

"Good."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Not long," he answered and glanced at his watch, "45 minutes."

Laney yawned loudly. For only a forty-five minute nap she felt amazingly well rested. Her leg really did only mildly ache and she was a little stiff – a side of effect of being bed ridden for a couple of weeks –other than that she was feeling good.

She looked around the room confused. "Where's Gavin?"

Sam frowned.

"What's wrong Sammy?"

"He said he had some kind of family emergency and had to leave."

Laney grimaced. "He didn't say what?"

"Nope, just left you a laptop and took off, he wouldn't say what happened. He said he'd call."

Laney looked dejected.

"Sorry, baby."

"I just hope he's okay. Can I borrow your phone?"

Sam smiled knowingly and handed her the phone.

"Don't tell Dean," she said, grabbing the phone and dialing Gavin.

Sam motioned crossing his heart.

Laney frowned. The call went straight to voicemail. She considered leaving a message, but decided she would shoot him an e-mail when she got a chance. She felt a little self-conscious leaving a message in front of her brother.

"No answer. I hope everything is okay."

"He seems pretty capable of handling things himself."

"He is…it's just…I'm surprised he didn't at least stop in to see me before he left."

Sam sat down in the chair next to his sister. Truth was he'd been surprised too. It was obvious to him that Gavin had some feelings for his sister, even if he hadn't figured them out yet.

Laney pressed the panel on her bed to raise the back up to a sitting position. "I guess it doesn't matter anyway. I mean, we can do what we need without his help."

"I'm sure he'll come back if he can," offered Sam hopefully.

"Maybe it's better if he doesn't," she said, picking at the edge of her bed sheet.

"Why do you say that?"

"I know you and Dean aren't stupid – I – uh- you know – I guess I have a little crush on him," she said sheepishly, her cheeks flushing.

"I hadn't noticed," Sam deadpanned.

Laney rolled her eyes. "Aside from that he's a really good friend…maybe it's better if he keeps his distance."

Sam gave her a questioning look.

"Think about it Sammy…our lives...they're dangerous. Look at what happened to me…and Dad. What about my abilities? I can't share that with him. Yellow-eyes and whatever else is after us – it's never going to stop. I can't drag him into this. We can't afford to bring in outsiders."

Sam reached over and grabbed his sister's hand. Everything she said was true. He'd kept everything a secret from Jess and she still died – a victim of the yellow eyed demon. People close to them did get hurt. He was just sad that his sister had to learn that lesson so young and without the chance to have the kind of relationship with someone that he'd had with Jess. It was unfair. And he didn't have any words to provide any comfort.

"I'm sorry, baby."

Laney sighed heavily. "It's not your fault."

"It's not your fault either."

"I know," she said quietly. "Well, I'm sure Dean will be relieved," she added with a half-hearted laugh.

"Dean wants you to be happy."

"I want Dean to be happy…and you too."

"As long as I have you two around, I think I'll be just fine."

Laney smiled brightly and put her brother's hand to her mouth and kissed it. "I love you Sammy."

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you too baby."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Well, I think that does it for me," said Laney, closing the Styrofoam container of food Dean had brought her.

"That's it? You didn't even eat half of it," said Dean, with a frown.

"I don't want to pull a repeat of the other day."

 _Oh._ That's right, last time she'd eaten solid food, she done a Linda Blair impression.

"Gotcha, ease back into it…good plan," said Dean, as he took another bite of his meatloaf sandwich.

"So when are we going to start researching?" asked Laney, impatiently. She was eager to get the search on for the spirit that had saved her life and considering how very little she had to go on, she didn't expect it to be an easy task.

"How are you feeling?" countered Dean, ignoring her question.

Laney hated when he did that; answered a question with a question. She rolled her eyes. But it was only half-hearted. She understood how scared her brothers had been for her life. And it had been warranted. But already, the overprotective brother thing was getting a little old.

"I feel fine…now answer my question."

"Fine? Care to elaborate a bit? Not feeling sick? Feverish? Any pain?" asked Dean

"My leg is sore, but I feel great otherwise, okay? Rachel says they are transferring me to the regular medical floor as soon as a bed becomes available. So, obviously the doctors are confident that I'm healing well. Now answer my question."

"As soon as you get a new room and Bobby and Sam get back."

"Fine."

"No pouting."

"I'm not pouting."

"Yes you are."

"I don't pout."

"Yes you do."

Laney sighed heavily and crossed her arms over her chest.

Pouting.

Dean took another messy bite of his sandwich and smiled triumphantly. Teasing his little sister was as much fun as he remembered and this was probably the third time in the last couple of hours that she'd reverted to pouting. It was something she didn't do often and hadn't done much of since she was a little girl.

Laney leaned back in frustration. First he'd taken away her laptop when he'd returned from the food run to find her attempting to do research on her own. Some well-meaning but oblivious nurse had set it up for her. Dean had a talk with the nurses' station after that. Then he'd caught her using his cell phone to leave a message for Gavin, when he'd told her absolutely not. When she pointed out that Sammy had let her, he'd given his brother a withering glare and sent him off to meet Bobby at the motel they were setting up camp at. Now he was stalling about this hunt they had found themselves on. It was bad enough that she was stuck in the in the hospital without much hope for any real mobility any time soon. There was an over ambitious social worker on their collective asses and Gavin had unexpectedly run off on some emergency and had yet to call her back or send any kind of message about how he was doing. And again, she was stuck in bed, having to rely on everyone around her to do every little thing. So she felt perfectly entitled to a little pouting.

Dean watched the play of emotions across his sister's face; from irritated to frustrated to sad to resigned. He took pity on her.

"Hey kiddo, we're not trying to keep you from helping out with this hunt. Without your help there isn't much of one to begin with. We're just looking out for you okay. I know you're feeling good and all that and the doctors are happy with your progress, but you still have a lot of healing to do. And we don't want you getting sick again, okay?"

Laney studied her brother's face a moment before answering. Despite his lighthearted teasing and cheerful tone, he looked tired – absolutely beat – and she had to remind herself how much he took on his shoulders when it came to taking care of her and Sammy. Not to mention he'd been closer to Dad than any of them and so far she saw no sign that he'd even begun to process that loss. None of them had.

"Are _you_ okay?" she asked quietly.

Dean raised his eyebrow in surprise at the turn in questioning.

"I'm stuffed," he answered, throwing his container in the trash.

"That's not what I mean….how _are_ you?"

Dean looked away and shut his eyes tightly, before returning her gaze.

"I'm happy that you're feeling better."

"That's not what I'm asking."

He knew that. He had a pretty good idea exactly what she was getting at. And he wasn't ready to have that conversation – not with her, not with anyone.

"I can't talk about it," he whispered, hoarsely. "Not right now."

"I just – I'm here – if you need to talk. I can handle it," said Laney.

"It's fine. I'm fine," said Dean, firmly.

Laney knew without a doubt that underneath all of that swagger and aloofness was a seriously hurting brother.

"I'm worried about you. You always spend so much time taking care of me and Sam –"

"Laney," interrupted Dean, his voice filled with warning, "I said I'm okay. If and when I have something to talk to you about, I will. Until then let's lay off the Oprah crap. I'm not up for talking about my feelings right now."

The words stung. But Laney couldn't quite let it go. Her big brother was in pain and she wanted to help – needed to help.

"I'm just saying, I'm here to listen…anytime," she said, softly, unable to meet her brother's gaze.

"Seriously, let it go or I'm going to have to leave," Dean said sharply.

Laney physically winced as if she's just been slapped.

Dean silently cursed himself at his sister's reaction. That was completely low and the absolutely wrong thing to say - threatening to leave like that – unforgivable. _I'm such an asshole._

He knew she just wanted to help. He knew that she was hurting badly and in some ways worse. But he couldn't deal with it. He wasn't ready. It was too much. He could only handle one crisis at a time. Maybe when she was out of the hospital and back on her feet and they had CPS off their backs – then maybe – they could talk about it.

He reached out to grab her hand in silent apology, but she pulled it back and curled as far over onto her side – away from him – as she could.

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"Second time's the charm," said Rachel brightly as she wheeled Laney into her newest home – the regular medical floor.

The new room was slightly larger than her last. There was a fold out bed in the far corner, a television, and a nice view of the hospital parking lot. It was a step up from the motels that had been her life. But at the moment, she would have given anything to be back in one, with her brothers, left alone in peace.

"Thanks, Rachel," said Dean once she had finished setting Laney up. She excused herself from the room without delay. She picked up on the tension between the siblings right away. She was surprised and not surprised. The poor kids had been dealing with a lot over the last two and a half weeks.

Dean gave his sister a sideways glance. She hadn't said a word to him since…well, since he'd been a dick.

She seemed to have closed herself off into that little space in her head she liked to go to when things got a little too much to process. He'd been unnecessarily harsh with her earlier when all she was trying to do was reach out to him; let him know that he wasn't alone and it was okay for him to grieve. Despite that, it wasn't enough to break the wall he'd built up around that particular wound.

He sighed heavily, wishing Sam would get there already. This was so much more his little brother's department – the talking about feelings and holding hands and making nice.

"It must feel good to not be attached to anything anymore," said Dean, casually. Every IV line and monitor had been removed. Aside from the nurses coming by every couple of hours to do a vitals check, she was now pretty much on her own and rehab was set to start in a couple of days.

Laney shrugged her shoulders lightly but offered no further comment.

"You feeling okay?" asked Dean desperately wanting to hear her voice. He supposed he could just come right out and apologize, but that wouldn't be the Dean Winchester way.

She didn't even spare a glance in his direction, instead reaching over for the remote and flipping on the television.

He shook his head. She was obviously feeling well enough to keep up the silent treatment.

He sighed heavily before he sat down in the chair next to her bed. With another sideways glance he noticed the tightness of her jaw and tension in her neck. If she clenched her jaw any tighter she just might break it. He was about to rip the remote out of her hands when Sam came in through the door, smiling.

One glance at his siblings and the smile faded away. He knew right away that he'd missed something important. The tension in the room was palpable. They must have had some kind of argument. Laney's eyes were flat and devoid of any emotion, but her upper body was taut with tension.

The tense set of his brother's shoulders and the vein visibly throbbing in his neck were sure indicators that he was also angry and frustrated. About what, he didn't know. But he had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with their father. Sam himself had tried to get his brother to talk about it and had been met with stony silence and a complete change of topic. He'd let him know in no uncertain terms that talking about Dad for the near future was off-limits. While he'd been upset about it, he'd accepted it, even expected it. Laney though, probably would have pushed a little harder.

"Hey guys, Bobby will be up shortly. He's grabbing something to eat," said Sam, nonchalantly. If they wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, then fine, he could play that game too. "What are you watching?"

Laney looked up at Sam as if she had just realized he walked into the room. "I'm fine Sammy."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "That's good to hear, but I was asking you what you were watching."

"Huh? Oh…uh…I don't know, just background noise." She studied him carefully. "You look better."

"Yeah, I showered and took a nap. I feel like a new man."

Laney offered him a genuine smile. Sammy hadn't done anything wrong and she'd never been able to be mad at him, ever.

"Good. You ready to do some research?"

"I'm ready if you two are," answered Sam, slowly.

"I'm going out for a while," said Dean, abruptly getting up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" asked Sam

"I'm going to head to the motel, shower, catch a short nap. You guys can get started. If you get anything worth checking out call me, otherwise I'll be back in a few hours."

Sam nodded and noticed his sister's hand clench into a fist and her breath hitch slightly.

Dean must have noticed too, because he hesitated for a split second before reaching for his jacket. He was almost to the door, when he heard his sister call his name, so softly that he was sure he'd been imagining it.

"Dean?" she called out again, a bit louder.

He breathed a sigh of relief before walking over to the bed. "Yeah?"

The eyes that had earlier been flat and expressionless were shiny with unshed tears. He leaned in closer to her and tentatively touched her shoulder.

"I love you," she said and pulled him into a half hug.

 _Okay, mood swings much?_

Dean nodded and squeezed her back. "You too, kid."

He gave his brother a loaded look that only he would be able to interpret and left the room.

"So what did I miss?" asked Sam, as soon as Dean had left the room.

"What was it like being back with Dean over the last year, just the two of you? You know…after all that time away at school."

Sam's brow furrowed. He was about to ask why the change in topic, but she looked so damn worried and scared.

He sat down in the seat next to her before he answered.

"It was kind of uh – awkward at first… I guess…you know, getting back into a rhythm. I think he didn't know how to act around me – like I was some foreigner and he was trying to figure out what language I spoke. I think he was worried that I might have lost my ability to hunt. But it got better. It was good. It's been good. I didn't realize how much I'd missed him until we were back together. And helped me, a lot, you know, dealing with Jess' death. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, maybe it's nothing. I just feel like something has changed. I can't put my finger on it. It's just different, something about him is different and I don't like it."

Sam frowned. His sister sounded so heartbroken. But he understood what she was saying. He'd recently felt the shift himself and he couldn't figure it out either. No one else would've noticed. But no other set of siblings in the world could possibly be as attuned to each other as they were.

"I'm not sure what's up. But I know he loves you and would do anything for you. That's never going to change."

"I know that."

"That's all that should matter."

Maybe so, but here was something very different about her brother that she'd picked up on over the last two days of being lucid and mostly pain-free. The drug induced haze was clearing and with it came clarity of thought. Something big was wrong with Dean and she felt like she had to fix it, before it broke him – or them.

Laney smiled at her brother in an attempt to ease his obvious concern. She wasn't going to drag him into her little tiff with Dean and eventually, like always, things would be forgiven and they would move on.

"Let's get down to business shall we? Can you get my laptop set up?" she asked cheerfully.

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An hour later they hadn't made much progress, even with Bobby's input. His presence made her feel more at ease. It was comforting to have him there. She could almost pretend that they were sitting around his house, hanging out, researching a case. Almost.

"I've been looking into any mysterious deaths, but considering this is a hospital and people die every day, it's kind of hard to weed out anything unusual," said Laney, squinting in frustration at her laptop. She was getting tired already and her eyes were blurring with the effort of keeping them open and focused.

"Well, sweetheart, if there's something to find, you'll find it," said Bobby, with a fond smile.

"Yeah, but there has to be an easier way. This hospital has been around for 100 years and I have no clue what time that woman was from."

Sam frowned. They had hours and hours of research ahead of them, and it was even harder for him because he honestly had no clue what he was looking for. His sister's description of the woman was pretty generic, and her, _"I'll know it when I see it,"_ was completely unhelpful to him.

"Let's try looking into any unusual occurrences, ghost stories, or the like. I'll get Dean to talk to some of the nursing staff, maybe there are some rumors going around. He's good at getting people to talk."

"Especially women," said Laney with a smirk.

"You talking about me?"

Laney looked up startled.

"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you were going to catch a nap," asked Sam

"I figured you guys could use a hand and there's a perfectly good bed here I can use," he said, pointing at the fold out bed and throwing his duffel on it. Staking his claim.

Truth was he missed his sister. He didn't like leaving things the way he had, even if she'd broken down and spoken to him. He knew it was out of fear. The way she had said I love you, and the way she'd held him, it was as if she'd been worried it would be the last time she'd see him and she wanted to make sure he didn't go away angry. He didn't like doing that to her.

Bobby shook his head knowingly. The boy was as transparent as glass.

"Anyway after a shower and a shave, I'm wide awake and ready to work," Dean added, brightly.

 _Bullshit,_ thought Laney. You could pack a week's worth of clothes in the bags under his eyes.

Laney shook her head and got back to researching on her computer. Sam brought him up to speed and they began discussing different theories. She was only half listening because she'd caught her reflection in her laptop monitor. She looked terrible – pale and thin. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair – greasy, stringy and overgrown. She had never been a vain girl, but suddenly she felt as bad as she looked.

Dean noticed his sister's faraway look, even as he was talking with Sam and Bobby. She was frowning deeply. He couldn't figure out why, until she reached into the drawer next to her bed and pulled out a small handheld mirror. The longer she studied her face, the deeper she frowned. He tried to keep an amused smile to himself. It did give him an idea though.

Laney threw the mirror back in the drawer and slammed her laptop shut loud enough to make everyone stop talking.

"I know you guys need my help with this, but honestly, I'm falling asleep here," she said, apologetically. She had promised to honest about her needs and she intended to not be a burden to her brothers.

Dean gave her another appraising look. She did look tired – not sick – thankfully.

"It's okay, baby," said Sam.

"I could use a little shut eye myself," said Bobby, "I'm gonna head back to the motel. You coming Sam?"

Laney gave her brother a slight nod of the head. It wasn't fair to him that he couldn't get decent sleep just because of her irrational fears.

"Yeah, okay. I'm pretty rested, but I'll do some more research," he said with a smile. He walked over to his sister's bed and gave her a kiss. She pulled him to her and hugged him fiercely.

"I love you Sammy," she whispered in his ear.

He gave her another kiss on the top of her head. "I love you too."

Bobby gave her an affectionate pat on the cheek and then they were gone. Just her and Dean in the room alone, thick silence between them.

Dean moved his sister's laptop and the tray table she'd been using to work, out of the way. He got up and closed the room curtains. It was late afternoon, but the room was facing west and the light was shining straight through. He knew his sister slept best in total darkness. If he could drum up a little rain for her he would have.

He arranged some stuff from his duffel bag, her drowsy eyes watching him closely.

He finally turned around and faced her. "Listen kid, I'm sorry," said Dean, gruffly.

"Go to bed, Dean."

He frowned at her. She scooted down the bed and pulled the covers up to her neck and closed her eyes. Apparently the conversation was over. He walked over and kissed her forehead.

"Pain in the ass," he muttered affectionately.

As he turned to walk away she grabbed his hand and squeezed. He got the message loud and clear: all was forgiven. He squeezed back, swallowing the lump in his throat, and walked over to the fold-out bed. It was a step up from the chairs he'd been sleeping in and probably still less comfortable than a motel bed, but it was the most inviting sight he'd seen in a long time. He laid down and found a comfortable position. He stayed awake for awhile, listening to his sister's breathing until it changed, signaling a peaceful slumber, before he finally answered the call of sleep.

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Although he'd been sound asleep, Dean was immediately alert and at the ready when the door to his sister's room opened. He relaxed only slightly when he noticed it was one of the nurses.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you," she whispered, "I just need to get a set of vitals on her."

Dean nodded. "It's okay."

Laney startled awake at the feel of the nurse putting the blood pressure cuff on her. Dean immediately walked over to her and rubbed her forehead in comfort.

"It's okay kiddo, they're just getting vitals. Go back to sleep."

She nodded sleepily at her brother and closed her eyes. He smiled fondly when she was out like a light in less than 10 seconds.

The nurse gave him a warm smile. Dean gave her his most flirtatious one. She was a looker. And now that his sister was out of mortal danger, he could enjoy one of his favorite past times again – flirting with every pretty little thing that batted their lashes his way.

"Her vitals are excellent," she said.

"That's good to hear," said Dean, eyeing her up and down.

To his satisfaction she blushed deep red.

She cleared her throat before pulling an envelope from her pocket. "Uh – this was left for you at the nurses' station."

Dean grabbed the official looking envelope and immediately noticed the Child Protective Services logo stamped on the outside. The smile immediately dropped from his face. He was no longer in the mood to flirt.

"Thanks," he said distractedly.

The nurse pursed her lips at his sudden disinterested tone and turned on her heels out of the room.

Dean ignored her and ripped the envelope open quickly reading the contents. "Son of a bitch," he muttered.

He pulled open his phone and dialed Sam.

"Sammy, I need you to come watch Laney for awhile. I've got some things I need to do."

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_

"I'll tell you about it when you get here."

 _"_ _Tell me now, you're freaking me out."_

Dean sighed before he answered. "Got a letter from CPS, they're sending over one of their shrinks to interview Laney day after tomorrow."

Sam let out a stream of curses that made Dean surprised and proud.

 _"_ _I'll be right there."_

Dean flipped his phone shut. He took a seat next to his sister and reached out for her hand. Even in her sleep she instinctively wrapped her hand around his and turned toward him, just like she had as a baby.

He rubbed his other hand through his hair in frustration. "When will this end?" he whispered.

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Dean stepped out in the hall to speak with Sam once he'd arrived. He showed him the letter.

"It's all some crap about determining if she's fit to be placed with me as her guardian," spat Dean, angrily.

"What are we going to do?" asked Sam

"I don't know, man."

"What about our previous plan? Hack their system…destroy the files. Gavin's not here, but Bobby can help."

"I don't know. I'm not sure how to play this yet. I mean, she's so much better now and so close to getting out of here. Maybe if we just go along with the process it'll buy us enough time to get out of town and back under the radar."

Sam frowned at his big brother. He didn't like it at all, but it made the best sense. Sometimes "keep it simple stupid" was a good idiom to live by.

"We should talk to Laney first, see what she thinks. She's the one that has to go through the interview."

"Yeah, I know and we're not allowed to be there."

"I don't like it," said Sam.

"No shit. But I think there's a way around that. Sort of."

"What are you thinking?"

"The interview's going to take place in her room. We could wire it. Set up surveillance; keep an eye on the shrink. Make sure the whole deal is kosher."

Sam nodded his approval. "Good idea."

"Of course it is."

Sam rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to go get what we need. Keep an eye on her. If she wakes up don't tell her anything until I get back."

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Laney didn't wake up. Apparently she was out for the night. Dean hadn't returned until well past midnight. He found his overgrown lug of a brother with his feet dangling off the extra bed, snoring loudly.

He didn't have the heart to wake him up. Instead he left him a note letting him know he was okay and would head back to the motel to get some sleep and he'd see them in the morning.

Dean had managed to get quite a few things done in the hours he was gone. He'd gathered up all the equipment he needed to wire the room and figured out the best way to do it. These were the kinds of things he was especially talented at and he'd welcomed the challenge it presented. It felt good to be doing something – to be working. It brought him a feeling of renewed purpose. Although it was the first time he'd been truly alone with his thoughts, which just so happened to be his father's voice in his head repeating the last things he'd said before he died.

 _Focus._ He had to focus. One thing at a time; take care of his sister.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I am posting a WeeLaney one-shot later today, so be on the look out.**

Chapter 35

When Laney woke in the morning she was immediately aware of three things. One, she'd slept over 14 hours straight. Two, Sammy was snoring away in the spare bed, not Dean, as she'd expected. And three, she had to pee in the worst way.

She silently debated between buzzing the nurse to help her and waking up her brother for his help. Neither one was especially appealing, but she'd promised Sam she'd stop being so stubborn about asking for help. Besides, pretty soon she'd be out of the hospital and she'd be relying on her brothers alone. There would be no nurses to come to her aid.

"Sammy," she called out, "Wake up."

He snorted hilariously before raising his head up, his hair was sticking up in several different directions.

"Huh? What's wrong? Jesus, how long have I been asleep?" he asked, confused.

"I need to pee and I don't know how long you've been asleep, because when I fell asleep last night, Dean was in that bed, not you."

"Right," he said. Laney noticed a shadow cross her brother's eyes.

"Is Dean okay?"

"He's fine, he's back at the motel," he said, standing up with a yawn and reading the note his brother left. "So, need to go to the bathroom huh?"

"Unfortunately," she answered, with an exaggerated sigh.

"Okay, let me grab a wheelchair."

She nodded at him as she moved the blankets off her body. Her hard cast had been replaced with a soft more pliable brace. It was designed to immobilize her leg, but it was hinged at the knee so she could eventually begin to bend it. It still ran from her upper thigh all the way to her foot, but it was far and away better than the rock hard cast she had before.

Sam returned quickly with the wheelchair and carefully lifted her into it. She was supposed to try it herself, but she appreciated the gesture, because time was of the essence.

He helped her into the bathroom and closed the door behind him with a warning not to lock it. She could feel him nervously hovering outside the door, but this time was not like the last and she was able to do her business and return the chair with relative ease. Her ribs were still sore but the staples from her abdominal surgery had already been removed as well as the stitches from her chest lacerations. It all itched like crazy though.

"I'm done," she called out.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Not bad, I think I'll get the hang of it pretty easily. Maybe they'll let me shower today."

"I sure hope so," called out a familiar voice from the door.

"Thanks for your support, Dean."

"Anytime, kiddo."

Laney rolled out of the bathroom about to make a smart ass comment when she noticed they had company; a brunette, young and attractive, and totally Dean's type.

"Oh – uh- hi," stuttered Laney. She glanced up at Sam who had an eyebrow raised. He looked just as surprised as she did.

"This is Angela," said Dean. "She's a gift for you."

"I'm sorry?" asked Laney.

Angela rolled her eyes. "I'm a hairstylist," she said.

"Okay," said Laney, slowly, still confused.

"And you're supposed to be the genius," mumbled Dean, with a smirk. "I thought it would be something nice. She's going to cut your hair, color it, whatever you chicks do with your hair. Whatever you want."

Laney smiled slowly, completely touched. How did he know it was exactly the pick me up she needed?

His sister's silence made him shuffle uncomfortably, maybe he'd miscalculated and it hadn't been a good idea at all. Maybe he should have talked to her first.

"Thank you, Dean. Really, thank you," Laney finally said, her eyes shining brightly.

"Don't mention it," he said gruffly. "We'll – uh – leave you two alone to do your girl stuff."

"Where are you going?" she asked, tension in her voice

"We'll be out in the waiting room," he soothed, picking up on the tension in her voice. "Call us if you need anything."

She took a deep breath and smiled. "Okay. Love you both."

"Yeah, you too," muttered Dean, under his breath. He didn't want to let Angela know he was a big softie. After all he had a rep to maintain.

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"You get everything we need?" asked Sam.

"Yup, and we've got permission to take Laney out in her wheelchair for some fresh air. It'll buy me some time to set everything up. Bobby's going to keep lookout."

Sam nodded, impressed. "So, when are you going to tell her about the shrink?"

"I'm going to let her enjoy her little hair day and then we'll tell her. I gotta tell you though; I'm not looking forward to it."

"I think she'll be okay," said Sam. "I don't like it, but I think she'll handle it just fine. I mean, after how she did in Buffalo you know…"

"She _was_ pretty awesome," said Dean, voice swelling with pride.

"And just how did you find this hairstylist chick?" asked Sam

"I used my abundant charms."

"Right."

"I met her when I was out last night. I had to do a little hustling for some cash. I figured Laney could use the pick me up."

"You're such a teddy bear Dean."

"Shut up, Samantha."

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Somehow Angela had convinced Laney to go for some highlights in her dark hair. She'd been unsure about it. She really didn't know about such things, but there was something relaxing about getting her hair done and she enjoyed the normalcy of it, so she'd agreed, as long as it was nothing too crazy.

"You have beautiful hair," said Angela. "It's so thick."

"Thanks," said Laney. She and Sam had both inherited their father's dark and thick hair. A lot of the girls at school had been envious even though she thought it was terribly superficial and didn't get the fuss. It was just hair.

Angela worked away in comfortable silence. Laney appreciated the fact that she wasn't one of those nosy and excessively chatty hairstylists that she'd had the displeasure of meeting before. But she did feel a little obligated to make some small talk. After all, this woman was doing her a huge favor, coming to the hospital with all her equipment. She didn't know what kind of payment Dean had worked out – nor did she want to know – but she appreciated all the effort.

"So – uh – you grow up around here?" asked Laney

"Uh – yeah – actually," answered Angela, apparently surprised by the question. Dean had warned her that his sister wasn't much of a talker, at least around strangers. Otherwise, sometimes it was hard to shut her up. But he'd kept that part to himself.

"It's changed a lot since I was a little kid, though. It used to be a pretty small town, but ever since the hospital expansion several years ago, it's become almost metropolitan."

"Expansion?" asked Laney

"Yeah, this used to be a rinky-dink little two story building. Now it's a major medical campus and they just built a medical school nearby. Brought a lot of business to the area and a lot of jobs…it's the biggest employer in the city. My parents both work here."

"Cool."

"It is pretty awesome. They work in the emergency room so they always have great stories to tell. You wouldn't believe the crazy stuff that happens here."

"Like what?" asked Laney, with genuine interest.

"Oh, you know…weird medical stuff and uh – people getting themselves into – uh – very interesting situations."

"Like the stuff on ER?"

"Even better. You know this hospital was built on an old cemetery – actually, it was an insane asylum too, before it burned down and the original hospital was built."

Laney nearly dropped the box of foils she was holding for Angela.

"Really? And they just built the hospital right on top of the cemetery?"

"It was ages ago, but the story goes, that a contractor was hired to relocate the bodies to a new cemetery outside of town. It was the only way that the town would agree to allow the asylum to be built. You know…don't disrupt the dead and all that."

"So, what happened?" asked Laney, in suspense.

"Apparently they only moved half of the bodies before they decided it was too much work. They ended up just burying a bunch of empty coffins in the new cemetery and slapping the headstones on them. By the time the locals found out, the asylum had already been built so it was too late to move the other bodies. Supposedly the townsfolk caught up with the contractor and lynched him."

"Yikes."

"Yeah no kidding."

"What happened to the asylum?" asked Laney. She was kicking herself for not looking further back into the hospital's history. She'd been concentrating on looking for the woman, instead of seeing the bigger picture. She should have known better.

"Burned down a year later with all the patients locked inside, nobody knows how or why, but local legend chalked it up to the spirits of the bodies that remained buried underneath. I guess there were a lot of family plots there and only pieces and parts of some families were moved. Anyway, supposedly there have been several ghost sightings in the hospital since."

 _Ding- ding- ding!_

Laney smiled brightly. Not only was she getting her hair done, but she'd just caught a major break in her case. She almost wanted to call off the highlights so she could get down to researching, but decided it could wait and she couldn't exactly call her brothers and tell them the news. She couldn't imagine the stare that would bring.

"Cool story," said Laney.

"Yeah, silly I know. I mean ghosts, disgruntled spirits coming back from the dead to seek revenge and all that. It's all nonsense."

Laney bit back an amused smile. "You're right, complete nonsense."

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"Ready for the big reveal?" asked Angela.

 _Finally._ Laney thought she was going to lose her mind. If she knew how much time it took to mess with her hair, she would've just asked for a trim and been done with it. It had been almost three hours and she was stiff and sore from sitting in her wheelchair for so long.

"I'm ready."

Angela wheeled her over to the large mirror above the bathroom sink.

"Ta-da!"

"Wow," said Laney, and she meant it. Three hours or not, this woman had performed a miracle on her hair. She'd cut off several inches so that it was just touching her shoulder blades and given her a heavy bang. She weaved golden colored highlights throughout her dark hair, which brought out the gold in her eyes dramatically. She looked – like a woman – not a girl.

"You like it?"

"I – uh – I love it – really. It's fantastic. Thank you so much."

"It was my pleasure really."

Angela packed up her materials and equipment while Laney stared in the mirror at her hair. She hated to be so vain – that was Dean's department – but the difference astonished and pleased her. She found herself giddily wishing Gavin was around to pay a visit. Too bad, he still hadn't called her back.

"Here's my card. I know your brother said you'd be leaving town once you get out of the hospital, but if you're back this way, you know, I can touch up your hair or give you some tips, help you find someone else to maintain it."

Laney grabbed the card and nodded. "I appreciate it."

"I'm going to get going." Angela reached down and hugged Laney tightly. "I'll send your brothers in. I think they'll be pleasantly surprised."

"You have no idea."

Angela chuckled and walked out the door.

Laney continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror as if she was seeing herself for the first time. Maybe a _little_ vanity was okay.

"Hey squirt," said Dean, coming through the door. Sam followed close behind.

She wheeled herself around to face her brothers, with a bright smile plastered on her face.

"Whoa," whispered Sam.

Dean stared at her for a moment speechless. He'd always thought his sister was a highly feminized version of their father. Same strong cheekbones, strong nose, same dark and thick hair. Even the eyes were similar. But right now, with the golden color added to her hair and the smile and the brightly sparkling eyes, she looked a lot like their mother. He had to swallow the lump in throat.

"Not bad, kiddo. Not bad at all."

"Thanks a lot Dean. I mean it. I love it. It's the best gift ever."

"Don't mention it," he said gruffly.

Sam walked over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You look gorgeous. Really."

"Thanks, Sammy. So what have you guys been up to?"

"Watched some crappy morning television and ate some extra crappy cafeteria food, not much else," said Dean.

"Well, I got a major lead on our case."

Dean cocked his head. "And how did you do that?"

"Angela gave me some pretty good information about this hospital and its history."

"Really?" asked Dean.

"Apparently she knows about a lot more than just hair."

"Yes, yes, she does," answered Dean with a cocky smile.

"Ew, please, I don't want to know."

"X-Rated anyway," retorted Dean.

"Anyway," she said loudly, "I need the laptop so I can get working on this."

Sam cleared his throat and gave his brother a loaded look.

"What?" asked Laney.

"How do you feel about going for a stroll outside?" asked Sam. "The docs okayed it and we thought you might like to get a little fresh air."

"I would actually. But didn't you just hear what I said? I've got a major break. We've got research to do."

"The research can wait," said Dean.

"Dean," she pleaded. "We've wasted enough time already."

"An hour outside is all we're asking. It'll do you good. The spirit isn't going anywhere and your research will still be here when you get back. You can let Sammy in on what you learned. You're a couple of geeks, I'm sure if you put your heads together you'll figure it out in no time."

Sam rolled his eyes and gave his brother a dirty look.

"You're not coming?" asked Laney, suspiciously. Something was up. She could feel it. Unless, he was going to repay the debt for her hair and – gross – she didn't want to think about that.

"I've got a few things to do."

"What's going on? What aren't you telling me?" Now that she was paying close attention she could see the unspoken tension in her brothers faces.

Dean and Sam exchanged a look.

Dean sighed heavily before he pulled up a chair and sat next to his sister.

"We got a letter yesterday…from CPS."

Laney's hands tightened around the wheelchair armrests. She gulped audibly. "What did it say?"

"They're sending a shrink tomorrow, to interview you. They want to do a psychological assessment. See if being with me is good for you."

"Of course it is," scoffed Laney.

"I know that. It's just some bullshit red tape."

"What are we going to do?"

"Well, your doctors say you could be out of here in a week. We figure, with the speed of government bureaucracy we'll be long gone before they make up their minds," said Dean.

She looked between Sam and Dean, a disbelieving look on her face. "Are you saying you want me to go through with the interview?"

"We don't like it baby. But we think it's the best way to buy time," said Sam soothingly.

"Do I have to be alone?" asked Laney

"Unfortunately yes," said Sam.

"But I'm going to wire the place, set up some surveillance, in case they try something shady," added Dean, quickly. "If it gets out of control, I'll pull the plug and we'll deal with the consequences later."

Laney chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, before she pulled her shoulders back and sat up straight, with apparent resolution.

"Okay," she said in a strong voice.

"Really?" asked Dean. He'd expected to spend more time convincing her.

"Yes, really. If you guys think its best, then I'll do it. I trust you."

Sam and Dean smiled widely at each other.

"Okay," said Dean, squeezing her shoulder "Okay then."

Laney grabbed Sam's hand. "So, how about that walk?"

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A little over an hour later Sam and Laney returned to her room. Dean was lounging on her bed watching some swimsuit review on the television, a smile of complete satisfaction on his face.

"Everything good to go?" asked Sam

"Easier than I expected," he answered. He looked over at his sister. "How was your walk?"

"It was nice," she admitted, "Felt good to get out of this place for a little while."

"You'll be out of here for good soon enough," said Dean, with a smile. "You tired? Hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Alright, I'll go pick up something for you," said Dean.

Laney immediately tensed up. Dean noticed. "Or you can wait for them to deliver your tray from the cafeteria?"

She offered him an apologetic smile. She was being ridiculous with the constant fear of her brothers being out of her sight.

"No thanks,I'll pass. Something from the diner would be nice. The food wasn't half bad."

"Waffles? Omelet?"

"Um…how about a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake?"

Dean and Sam both raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had always pretty much limited her choices in cuisine to breakfast foods. And her tastes otherwise ran closer to Sam's than Dean's.

"What?" asked Laney

"Nothing," assured Dean. "It's just you're usually on my case about eating that stuff all the time."

Laney shrugged her shoulders. "I've been craving it. Is that okay?" she asked with a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"Perfectly okay," said Dean. He shot his brother a confused look before leaving.

Sam offered him a shrug of the shoulder. He didn't know what was up either.

"I think I'm ready to get back into bed," said Laney. It was the longest she'd been vertical since the accident and it was taking a toll.

"You need my help?" asked Sam. He'd decided it was better to ask than assume. Since his sister's moodiness was unpredictable. Not to mention unusual.

She studied the bed and her position for a moment before nodding. "Yes, please."

"No worries," he said, wheeling her next to the bed. She put her arms around his neck and he effortlessly lifted her into the bed. She didn't weigh more than a sack of potatoes. A cheeseburger was probably the best choice for fattening her up. She needed it.

She grabbed the remote and turned the television off.

"Can I borrow your phone again?"

"You're not going to tell on me again are you?" asked Sam

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay. Dean's mostly all bark."

Laney snorted. "When it comes to you anyway."

She grabbed the offered phone, and dialed Gavin.

 _Again with the voicemail._

She flipped the phone shut without leaving a message. Anymore messages and she might be perceived as a stalker.

"No answer again?" asked Sam

"Nope. I hope everything's okay. I'm starting to get the feeling I'm being ignored."

"I'm sure he's just tied up with something. Maybe I can get Bobby to ask around, see if anyone's heard anything through the grapevine."

Laney nodded. "Would you?"

"Of course."

"Just make sure he doesn't mention it to Dean."

Sam laughed. "Don't worry, I won't. I don't have a death wish."

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Laney had inhaled her food and this time, so far she'd kept it all down. Dean was highly amused. She'd almost ripped his head off when he'd attempted to swipe one of her fries. Sam was still laughing about it.

He was just glad to see she had an appetite, even if her choice of food was puzzling.

"Apparently what Angela told you was pretty accurate," said Sam, looking up from his laptop.

"Yeah I know, but I haven't been able to find any specific information about the asylum other than that existed and was built around 1900. Do you think they might some archived records down at the library or city hall even?"

"It's possible," said Sam.

"Do you think this spirit chick was a patient? I thought you were leaning towards one of the bodies still buried underneath the hospital," said Dean.

"I was, but does that make sense to you? She's buried here and she's asking me to help her get back to her family. But it's not like we can find her bones and dig her up and move her to the new cemetery, _if_ we can even figure out where the rest of her family is buried."

"So maybe she's a restless spirit from the loony bin," said Dean.

"Maybe…but still that doesn't really explain why she's stuck. I mean, what keeps spirits in our world anyway."

"Unfinished business," offered Sam, "Or they refuse to move on, accept their fates."

"But that doesn't make any sense. She's asking for help. If they refuse to move on, don't they usually become vengeful spirits? She saved my life so that doesn't really fit."

"Unless she wants you to help avenge her death somehow," said Sam.

"Or maybe someone or something is keeping her here, keeping her from moving on," said Dean.

"Another spirit?" asked Laney, running her hands through her hair. "Jesus, this is frustrating as hell."

"It usually is," answered Dean. "Maybe we can do some EMF sweeps of the area, if we can find out exactly where the asylum used to be."

Laney nodded her head. "I'm not getting anything," she said, pointing to her head. "My psychic mojo isn't really triggering."

Dean nodded but said nothing. He'd actually been kind of hoping that his sister's "gifts" were all used up.

"I'll call Bobby and see if he can find out where the archives might be and check them out," said Sam.

"It's okay Sammy. You can go if you want. I know you love that stuff," said Laney. She knew he was offering to stay back for her peace of mind. But it wasn't fair to him and she couldn't expect them to change everything just so she wouldn't freak out. She was going to have to get used to it.

"You sure? There's plenty more I can do from here."

"I'm sure. Go, have fun."

Dean rolled his eyes. Only Laney and Sam would think archives and research was fun.

Sam smiled at his sister and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you."

"You too."

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A couple of hours later Laney was still deep into her research and growing increasingly agitated. She tried to chalk it up to fatigue, but she'd slept fourteen hours straight, so that didn't make sense. Her leg was sore, but not horrible. Something was wrong. She'd found herself constantly referring back to different sites to refresh her memory. She'd never had to refresh her memory in her life. All it ever took was one quick read through of something and it was committed to memory, in picture perfect clarity. So it disturbed and unnerved her to have to constantly go back and forth to confirm a date or some previous information she'd read.

Dean had been absently flipping through television channels and surreptitiously watching his sister out of the corner of his eye. She looked annoyed. When she put her hands up and began massaging her temples he gave up on being quiet.

"What's wrong? Do you have a headache?"

"A headache?" Maybe that was it, just a simple headache that was making it difficult for her to concentrate. But no, as much as she tried she couldn't conjure up any pain.

"Yeah, a headache."

"No. I don't know."

"You don't know? What's going on?"

"I – uh – I'm having trouble concentrating…I think."

Dean was beginning to get frustrated with his sister.

"You think? Laney, talk to me. Do I need to call the nurse?"

"No, no," she answered quickly. "It's just – I'm having trouble remembering what I've read. I keep having to go back."

"Is that all?" Dean asked incredulously.

Laney glared at her brother. Sometimes he could be a little slow.

"Dean, when have you ever known me to have to go back and re-read anything?"

She studied her brother's face closely, watching the light bulb come on. He stood up abruptly from his chair and sat down on the bed next to her.

"You sure about that?" he asked seriously. "I mean, you think you might just be tired or maybe it's the medication you've been on?"

"I guess it could be medication," she said worriedly.

Dean sighed heavily and took her hand in his. "You know, the brain doc said that you might have a short term memory problem or trouble retaining new information, stuff like that. It's probably just temporary," he offered hopefully.

"But it could be permanent," said Laney. "He said it was still too early to know."

"So what," said Dean with a shrug. "Doesn't make you any less of a genius."

Laney slammed the laptop shut. If it was permanent then she was in real trouble. What use was she going to be to her brothers? How was she going to be a hunter? She certainly wasn't physically an asset. It was her brain and the skills that went along with it that were her greatest contribution. If her memory was shot, or even worse, she couldn't retain new information, she didn't know what she was going to do with herself.

"Hey," said Dean, turning his sister's face towards him, "Do you want me to have the doctor come and check you out? Talk to him about what's going on?"

Laney nodded her head slowly. Her throat was tight and she didn't trust herself to speak without breaking out in tears.

"Okay, I'll be right back," he said getting up and heading for the door. "It's going to be okay."

Laney shrugged. _Maybe. Maybe not._


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Hi all! I did not post yesterday. The day got away from me and I needed rest from the long holiday weekend. If you haven't already read it, I posted a new one-shot on Sunday called, Things that Go Bump In The Night. Check it out. And thanks to all the latest who have taken the time to review. It really keeps my motivation up! Enjoy.**

Chapter 36

After a tense wait, for the very busy neurologist, that included Dean stepping out to call Sam to come back for support, he showed up and examined Laney. He wasn't much help other than to reiterate what he had previously told them. Laney had suffered a serious brain injury and she was bound to have some issues, some of which would get better with time, some of which might not. In other words; he really didn't have any answers for them.

Dean had still been somewhat relieved until the doctor took him aside in the hall and began questioning him more extensively about Laney's recent mood and behavior. He explained that many brain injury patients suffered changes to their personalities. They would probably be facing inexplicable mood swings and out of character behavior. The doctor warned Dean that he was going to have to throw out the playbook on Laney, because all the rules had changed. While Dean was worried, he was at least grateful to have a reason for some of his sister's confusing behavior as of late. The doctor concluded his evaluation by letting Sam and Dean know that Laney should only be slightly more difficult to deal with than your average 17 year old.

Dean scoffed, Laney had never been average in any way, shape, or form.

He also recommended psychotherapy to help her deal with what was bound to be a confusing and frustrating time. But Dean had never held much stock in shrinks – referring to them as quacks – so that was one recommendation he was going to ignore. He'd dealt with one emo and angsty sibling growing up and he could deal with another. If anything, _he_ was going to need the shrink.

Laney hadn't been the least bit placated by the neurologist. And her mood which had been so hopeful and cheerful just days ago had grown sour and morose; which was probably not going to be helpful for her interview with the CPS shrink the next day.

Dean decided that the best medicine for her at the moment was to finish their current hunt and get the spirit the resolution it needed to move on and maybe in the process it would lighten his sister's mood.

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"I was able to find what I needed at the county historical society," said Sam. "And I think Laney is right. I think this woman might have been a patient at the asylum."

"What makes you say that?" asked Dean

"Well, the asylum was built in 1901. It burned to the ground in 1905, killing everyone inside, patients, nurses and the psychiatrist, about 45 people."

"And?" asked Laney, impatiently.

"And, the hospital that was built over it, they got rid of the debris, but they decided to cut corners by reusing the foundation of the asylum. And even though they did this huge expansion and renovations, the structure of the original hospital is still here. They just built around it."

"What about the cemetery? The bodies that didn't get moved?" asked Laney. She hadn't even bothered to reopen her laptop. What difference did it make, she'd probably only remember half of what she read anyway.

"Now, that did actually turn out to be just a legend. I didn't find any proof of that and the historian I talked to said that it was just a rumor started after the asylum burned down," answered Sam.

"So why _did_ the nut house burn down?" asked Dean.

"Nobody really knows, since everyone was killed. The director of the asylum, a Dr. Abel Whitlock, supposedly used some unorthodox methods on his patients, but was pretty highly revered in town."

"What like lobotomy? Electroshock therapy?" asked Laney. She remembered reading a book about it when she was pretty young. Apparently her past memory was not affected, just new stuff. _Hooray for me._

"Not really sure. He kept it hush-hush. We'll have to look into him more… see what he was up to before he came to town."

Laney nodded in agreement.

"Meanwhile, we're going to run an EMF sweep," said Dean, grabbing his jacket.

Laney's brow furrowed in confusion when she saw Sam get up to follow him.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"With Dean. Someone's gotta watch his back."

Dean snorted. "I think it's the other way around."

Sam rolled his eyes.

"But what about the research on the doctor?"

"I leave it in your capable hands," Sam answered, with a brief glance at Dean. They had talked about the best approach to deal with Laney and the news she'd received. Part of the plan, was to act like nothing had changed.

"Fine, whatever, I don't know what good it's going to do," she mumbled.

Dean placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You'll do great as always," he said.

Laney grimaced uncomfortably.

"Call us if you need anything. Bobby should be here anytime now," said Sam.

"Love you guys," she said, without looking at them.

She didn't like the idea of her brothers on a semi-hunt – although an EMF sweep was hardly worth the worry – but she figured she could use the time to mope without an audience. No, she wasn't moping. She was grieving.

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"Are we doing the right thing, leaving her alone?" asked Sam, with a worried glance back towards his sister's room.

"She's hardly alone. I put up more wards and did more protection spells in that room than you can imagine. Nothing supernatural is getting in there. And I think she needs a alone time.'

"Yeah, maybe. Is it me or does she seem to freak out anytime one of us leaves the room?"

"You noticed that too, huh," said Dean, distractedly. He could very easily see how this conversation might end up in the direction of the one topic he had zero interest in discussing. "Maybe the shrink can give us a little insight."

Sam was about to respond to that, when Dean cut him off. "So, where should we start?"

Sam frowned at the obvious change in tone and topic. With a heavy sigh he turned to his brother.

"Uh – there's a sub-level basement. It's the closest to the foundation. If we're going to get a hit, it'll be down there somewhere."

Dean nodded. "Think you remember how to do this?" he asked with a smirk.

"Three years away at school and I managed pretty well on our first hunt back together don't you think?"

"Aside from you driving my car into an abandoned house, I guess it wasn't too bad."

"Let's just get this done, so we can get back. I don't like leaving Laney by herself."

"Yeah, fine. Let's do this."

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Laney had reluctantly begun researching, but didn't get very far. Forty-five possibilities and that was only if this woman had been among them. She went down the list of names and ages Sam had gotten from the historian. And of course, because she was so lucky, more than half the list was female. And for all she knew this spirit could have absolutely nothing to do with the asylum at all. A whisper of a voice and a brief glance of her face wasn't really enough to go on. On top of that she had probably less than a week left in the hospital before her chance to help this spirit that had saved her life was gone. And she hated unfinished business.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered aloud. Her brothers were somewhere with their little EMF readers, when she was a walking talking EMF reader herself. Much better too, with more bells and whistles. They should have taken her with them.

Hmmm….

Laney reached over and pressed the nurse call button. A couple of minutes later a nurse appeared.

"Can I help you dear?"

"Yeah, I need to go to the restroom. Can you help me get into the wheelchair?"

"Sure thing honey."

It didn't go as easily as having Sam simply pick her up and put her in the chair. But it went better than expected.

The nurse waited expectantly once Laney had settled in the chair.

"Oh, I've got it from here thanks. My brothers will be back in a few minutes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well if you need me, just hit the call button again."

"Sure thing," said Laney, brightly. "And thanks again."

"No problem."

Laney waited five minutes before opening the door to her room. Her right arm was still in its cast, but it was only slightly sore and her fingers had some decent mobility. She peeked around the corner and waited for a lull in the activity before making a break for it.

She wheeled herself out of the room and headed straight for the elevators. Her brothers were going to kill her, she knew, but what the hell. It was time for her to take some initiative – time for her to contribute where she could. Maybe she couldn't remember everything she read anymore, but she was pretty sure she still had her gifts. She was still good for something and she was going to prove it.

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When Bobby entered Laney's room, it only took a split second to realize she wasn't there like he'd been told she was supposed to be. But he didn't panic and wasn't overly concerned. For all he knew, she was having some kind of procedure or therapy or maybe one of her brothers had taken her out. She certainly hadn't gotten up and walked out on her own. _Or could she…_

Laney was always resourceful and bullheaded stubborn like her oldest brother. Dean had told him about what the neurologist had said and about some of the changes he'd observed in his sister – like impulsiveness.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Dean. Voicemail. He tried Sam with the same result.

If they were in the subbasement of the hospital they probably weren't getting much of a signal, if any at all. Damn.

He walked out to the nurses' station and asked them Laney's whereabouts, completely expecting a benign reason for her absence. The nurse's "she should be in her room" was not the least bit reassuring.

"She said she had to go to the restroom and I helped her get in the wheelchair."

"And you didn't wait for her?"

"She said her brothers would be right back and she'd be fine," answered the nurse defensively.

 _Crap. Doggone stubborn ass Winchester kids._

He decided his best course of action would be to head down to the boys, scanning the area for Laney as he made his way to them. Young girl in a wheelchair with a broken arm and leg shouldn't be too hard to spot.

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Laney made her way towards the operating rooms where she'd first encountered her Good Samaritan spirit. If anyone thought her presence unusual, nobody mentioned it. In fact, they barely glanced her way.

Unfortunately for her, this hospital was huge and apparently there was more than one surgical unit. Since she'd been totally out of it during her last visit, she couldn't be sure which one she'd been in. She rolled her way up to the young woman at the unit desk.

"Excuse me," said Laney.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah – uh – I had a procedure in the OR a few days ago. I just don't know which unit. I was wondering if you could tell me where it might have been."

The woman gave her a suspicious look.

"I wanted to thank some of the staff that took care of me and wanted to know where to send a token of my appreciation that's all," added Laney. She laid the sincerity on pretty thick.

The woman studied her for a second before she apparently decided that Laney was harmless.

"What's your name? I can take a look at your records."

"Delaney Winchester."

The woman's eyebrows went up several notched disappearing under her messy bangs.

 _Great, apparently she's heard of me._

"Uh – yeah – uh, that was on the 1st floor outpatient unit. Sometimes it's the overflow for the general unit and since we were super busy that day they kind had to use whatever space was available."

"First floor? How do I get there?" asked Laney. She could probably figure it out on her own. But the hospital was like a maze and she didn't have time to waste before her brothers figured out what she was up to. Or Bobby showed up. Crap, she'd forgotten all about that.

She listened to the woman's instructions intently, relieved when she handed her a yellow sticky memo with the directions written on it.

"I appreciate it. Thanks."

"No problem, take care," said the woman.

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"Picking up anything?"

"Besides a really nasty smell and hand cramps? Not a damn thing," said Dean.

"Me neither, but we've still got a lot of ground to cover."

"Hooray for us," muttered Dean. He was getting more aggravated by the moment. He thought it was a good idea for his sister to have some alone time, but this was pushing it. This was taking too damn long. He pulled out his phone and noticed that he had a missed call from Bobby with voicemail. Crap, reception was spotty in the basement.

"What?" asked Sam, noticing his brother's frown.

"Missed call from Bobby," answered Dean. He waited until he got a bar on his cell phone before he pressed the voicemail button.

Sam had his back turned to his brother and was scanning the farthest corner of the level, near some piping when his EMF started twitching.

"Hey Dean," he said, attempting to get his attention.

"Son of a bitch," snapped Dean.

"What is it?" asked Sam, noticing his brother's panicked and pissed expression.

"Bobby got to the room, Laney's not there."

"What? Where is she?"

"Says nurse helped her into her wheelchair and that's the last they've seen of her. He's on his way down to us."

"You don't think she would be that stupid?" asked Sam, totally unaware that his EMF meter was going wild.

By Dean's expression he could see that he did indeed think she would do something so stupid.

"Let's go," he said.

Before Sam completely turned all the way around to follow his brother he was propelled by an invisible force against the wall.

"Sam!" exclaimed Dean, going immediately on alert and pulling out his gun, rock salt filled bullets, of course.

Sam groaned as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. Really, what was with getting thrown into walls all the time? He would have thought ghosts could be a little more creative.

Dean reached a hand out for him, when he was hit from behind, this time the force, not so invisible.

 _Shit,_ thought Sam. It was the spirit of the asylum doctor, Abe Whitlock.

Dean flew sideways against the opposite wall, his gun clattering to the ground. Sam scooted forward quickly, picking it up and quickly firing a few rounds at the doctor's spirit before it screamed and vanished.

Sam slowly got up from the floor, doing a mental check for injuries. Bumps and bruises – nothing to write home about.

Dean took a few more seconds to come around, quickly sitting up and groaning with the sudden movement. "Son of a bitch," he spit out.

"You alright?"

"Just peachy. You?"

"I'm okay," Sam answered, reaching a hand out to help his brother up to his feet. Where he swayed for a few seconds before the room stopped spinning.

"We need to get the hell out of here," said Dean. "If Laney's out there roaming the hospital unprotected, she could be in trouble."

Sam agreed and they broke into a run back towards the stairway and out back into the main hospital.

When they were back in the main lobby, they saw Bobby hurrying towards them.

"Looks like you boys saw a little action."

"You could say that," said Dean. "Laney?"

"I did a brief sweep, nothing."

"I swear when I see that kid, I'm going to put her over my knee," grumbled Dean.

Sam smiled, hearing the poorly hidden fear under the threat. His brother had never raised a hand to Laney in her entire life. But if threatening her with bodily harm made him feel better, he could get behind that.

"Where do we start looking?" asked Sam.

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The outpatient surgical unit was easy enough to find. Laney stayed on alert. She knew her brothers were out in the hospital somewhere and the last thing she wanted to do was run into them. She knew Dean wasn't above a public ass chewing when it was called for and this situation certainly called for it. She put whatever future punishment she might meet out of her mind and continued to her destination.

When she got there she was surprised to find it deserted. She noticed a sign at the desk that the unit closed at 5pm. A quick glance at the clock showed it was half past. There wasn't a soul around - perfect for a little reconnaissance.

She wasn't more than halfway into the unit when she felt the tingling in her spine. She was close to something. She continued to roll slowly down the hallway past the surgical suites, noticing belatedly how tired her arms were getting and how tired she'd gotten in general.

She reached surgical room 8, when she felt the tingling overpowering her and she knew she'd hit the jackpot. She pushed through the door slowly, gritting her teeth against the intense sensation that was becoming a burn at the base of her neck. Once completely in the room, she parked herself in the middle.

"Now what," she whispered aloud. It wasn't like she had that much experience with her abilities. She didn't really know what to do. Pamela had told her it would become instinctual. But she had her doubts.

Although she felt ridiculous, she knew she had to get the show on the road. So she began to talk, hoping to draw the spirit out.

"Uh – I don't know how to do this – but if you can hear me, I'm the one whose life you saved and I want to help you, but I need more information. So if you're here, can you…uh….come out?"

Laney shook her head in embarrassment. Talking to ghosts, well that was a new one in her book.

The tingling in her head went up another notch, until she was seeing black spots in her vision. Then all of a sudden there was an explosion of cold air around her and through her, cold all the way down to her bones, so cold she thought she was going to freeze and her bones would break into splinters. It was her last thought before total darkness.

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"Think boys, where would she go?" asked Bobby

Sam thought hard for a moment. "My guess is she'd go looking for the spirit that saved her."

Dean nodded his head. "So what? The operating room?"

"Sounds like the most logical place," said Bobby.

"Yeah, well Laney hasn't exactly been acting too logical lately," grumbled Dean.

Sam shook his head at his brother. "Dean, she probably can't help herself. You know what the doctor said."

"Yeah, well it's still stupid and reckless," said Dean.

"I'm not arguing with you."

"Boys," snapped Bobby. "Focus. Where's the surgical unit?"

Dean looked around and headed for the information desk.

"Excuse me? Can you tell me where the surgical unit is?" he asked, the senior volunteer.

"Which one dear?"

Dean frowned. "There's more than one?"

"Yes sir, there are two."

"Terrific," muttered Dean.

"We're not sure," said Sam, from over his brother's shoulder.

"If you have a name, I can check for you where they might be."

"Well our friend is already up in a room. We just wanted to thank the staff that helped her out," said Dean.

"Well it was either the outpatient surgical unit or the general surgical unit," said the woman.

"Can you tell us where they are?" asked Sam.

"The general unit is up on the 5th floor and the outpatient is here on the first floor, at the North end of the hospital."

"That's freaking great," muttered Dean, under his breath.

"Thanks a lot," said Sam, with a smile.

They walked away from the desk.

"Split up?" asked Sam

"I'll take the 5th floor," offered Bobby.

Dean nodded. The old man was more perceptive than he liked sometimes. He knew Dean wouldn't want to split up with his brother.

"Alright, we'll take the 1st," said Sam.

He and his brother headed off quickly for the opposite end of the hospital, Dean with his hand on the gun in his pocket, ready for anything.

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Laney's first thought upon consciousness was that she was not alone in her head. Something was there – someone.

"My name is Callie," said a raspy voice, only it was inside her head. Not outside, or was it? She was confused, brain foggy, every nerve on fire, and the deep seated cold, not letting up.

"How c-can I h-help y-you?" stammered Laney, through her chattering teeth.

"I can make you see," answered Callie.

Before Laney could ask what she meant, she saw an explosion of light, and suddenly she could see. It was like a dream, but more crisp.

 _Callie strapped to a bed._

 _She's struggling against the leather restraints tying her to the bed. Her arms, legs and even her head are tied into place. Her eyes are wide with fear and terror. She knows what's coming. There is another woman in the room, a nurse. Her eyes are hard and uncaring. In her hands she holds a tray with several sharp instruments. Callie is trembling at the sight. She knows what's coming._

 _Through the door enters a man, dressed in a doctors' overcoat. Callie's trembling grows harsher at his presence and the sounds of screaming and crying from the hallway and into her room. He offers her a smile with no warmth._

 _"_ _Hello, my dearest. How is my favorite patient today?"_

 _Callie's terror is so overwhelming she cannot form a coherent word or thought, instead she begins to wail, a high pitched keening. She knows what's coming._

 _"_ _Oh don't fret my dear, we'll have you all better in no time. I don't know where my research would be without you," says the doctor._

 _Callie's eyes wildly follow him as he walks towards the tray of instruments. Her body tenses and she finally begins to shout._

 _"_ _Please, let me go home. I don't belong here. Let me go back to my family."_

 _The doctor clucks his tongue. "That's what they all say," he says, laughing. "All in due time."_

 _He reaches for a long and pointed steel instrument, with a smile, he edges towards Callie's bed. She's starts to wail again and struggle uselessly against the rigid restraints. He puts a hand to her head and offers her another smile. He positions the instrument near the corner of her eye._

 _Callie abruptly stops struggling; there is resignation in her eyes. One last time she whispers, "I want to go home."_

 _The doctor ignores her, motioning for the nurse to help hold Callie steady. And he pushes the instrument into the eye socket and Callie sees no more._

Blinding, harrowing pain, worse than could possibly be imagined shot through Laney's body. She jerked painfully. Just as suddenly as she felt it, it disappeared, all she felt was a gentle, but urgent tapping on her face and body. It felt like hands, familiar hands, and through the haze she heard two familiar and frantic voices. Her eyes finally regained focus and she could see again, although fuzzily. The tingling and burning sensations in her head totally dissipated. All that was left in its wake was in incredible sharp cold.

"Laney? Are you okay? Are you with me? Talk to me kiddo."

It was Dean. His face hovered in front of hers. And Laney felt immediately sorry. The worry and fear etched in his face was all her doing. But before she could offer an apology to her brother, she promptly leaned over and vomited all over his boots.

She heaved a couple more times before straightening up.

"D-d-dean," she said, through chattering teeth. She still felt impossibly cold.

"Yeah, baby, it's me. Are you alright?"

"S-sorry about your b- b- boots," she answered, apologetically.

Dean touched a hand to her face. "Jesus, she's ice cold." He pulled off his leather jacket and quickly wrapped it around her and began rubbing her arms.

Sam pulled of his jacket too and placed it over her as well. Laney closed her eyes, immediately soothed by the warmth and the comforting smell of her brothers.

"You okay baby?" asked Sammy. He knelt down next to her, happy to see that she was already regaining some color.

"I'm okay," she said, softly. She was unable to make eye contact with her brothers, instead staring at the remnants of her earlier meal, puddling at her brother's boots.

"Look at me," said Dean, sternly but gently.

Laney raised her eyes to meet her brother's gaze. He didn't look angry. She saw fear, worry, relief, and love. But not anger.

"That's a good girl. Tell us what happened," he said.

"We should get out of here," said Laney. She wasn't looking for a repeat of her experience.

Sam and Dean looked at each other and nodded.

"Alright, we'll get back to your room and then you're going to spill it," said Dean.

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The walk back to Laney's room had been tense and quiet. Her brothers frequently reached out to touch her, checking that she was warming up. Dean's hand drifted a couple of times towards her neck to check her pulse. He seemed satisfied that she was okay. Even if she was wearing dinner on her gown and stinking up her brothers' jackets with vomit.

Bobby met them about halfway there. He offered her a wan smile and muttered something about having some work to do and that he'd stop by later. Laney looked worn out and something had obviously happened, but he knew it was best to let three of them work it out before he made his reappearance.

Once in the room, one of the nurses came in and helped Laney get cleaned up in the bathroom, while her brothers waited outside. When she came back in clean and with a fresh gown, she noticed that Dean had shed the boots and was walking around in his socks.

 _I'm so going to get it._

When they were left alone again and Laney was resettled in the bed, Dean shut the door and pulled up a chair. Sam followed suit on the opposite side of her.

"What happened?" asked Dean. Despite his neutral tone, Laney could see that he was struggling not to explode.

"I – uh – I decided to see if I could get a hit on the spirit. You know – using my – mind mojo."

"Why would you go without backup?" asked Sam

"I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't," snapped Dean, more harshly than he intended. But he couldn't get the picture of how they'd found her out of his mind. Her eyes had been wide open, but unfocused. She had been panting as though she'd run a race, and when they touched her, it was like touching a block of ice. And no matter how much they'd shaken her and yelled at her to wake up, she didn't. She just sat there in the wheelchair, frozen and dead to the outside world.

"I'm sorry Dean. I – uh – I was feeling kind of useless. I didn't think I could research effectively, with what the doctor said and all. And I have these abilities that are useful and I just wanted to see what I could find out."

"Baby, we understand that," said Sam. "But you can't go off like that without one of us."

"I know. I won't do it again. I just…I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to do something…." Her voice trailed off.

Dean sighed heavily and reached for her hand.

"You scared the living crap out of us," he said, gruffly. "Don't ever do that again."

Laney nodded agreement.

"And you're not useless," he added.

At that Laney began to cry.

"I'm really sorry," she said, sniffling.

"We know," said Sam.

Laney cried a bit harder. Her brothers were letting her off pretty damn easy. She hated that it was probably because they felt sorry for her. Because she was damaged.

Sam reached over and wiped her tears away.

"You owe me some new boots," said Dean, trying to lighten the mood.

Laney chuckled through her tears. Her brothers allowed her a couple minutes to collect herself before they started with the questions again.

"Tell us exactly what happened," said Dean.

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When Laney finished telling her brothers everything, the mood in the room had grown a little gloomy. Dean wasn't happy with this manifestation of her gifts. Mind melding with ghosts? Pamela had told them Laney's gifts were probably pretty broad, but still. Un-freaking-believable. The ghost had shared a memory with her and as Laney had described it, in complete Technicolor detail.

"So, now we have name and we know she was a patient, and some doctor was performing torture on the poor woman. And I don't even think she belonged in that asylum. She didn't seem the slightest bit crazy," said Laney.

Dean got up from his seat and ran a weary hand through his hair.

"What happened to you?" asked Laney when she noticed her brother's painful grimace upon standing.

"Uh, well, we had a little run in of our own down in the basement. Met up with the ghost of the good old Doc Whitlock," said Dean.

Laney's eyes widened. Suddenly her brothers fear made even more sense. "Are you guys okay?"

"Little banged up," answered Sam. "Nothing special."

"What happened?" she asked.

"You should get some sleep," said Dean.

"When you tell me what happened."

"You have the interview with the CPS shrink in the morning," he reminded.

Laney sighed heavily. With all the day's excitement, she'd forgotten all about it.

"Listen we have a lot to go on now. I'm going to bet that the doctor you saw with Callie is the same guy we ran into and it's all related. Let me work on it. We'll figure it out. But you need to rest. Tomorrow is important," said Sam. He placed a hand on her back and began rubbing circles.

Laney immediately felt relaxed and incredibly tired.

"Okay, okay. I'll go to sleep," she said.

"Good," said Dean. "Sammy and I will take turns getting cleaned up, but you won't be alone."

Laney nodded and sunk down into her bed with a yawn.

"I'm worried about tomorrow," she whispered.

Dean walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss his sister's forehead.

"You'll be fine, kiddo. Trust me."

"I do, Dean. I do."

She closed her eyes and before he could pull the covers up around her neck, she was sound asleep.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Rise and shine cupcake."

"Lemme 'lone," mumbled Laney.

Dean chuckled. He hated to wake his sister up. But it was only an hour before the CPS shrink was set to arrive and they all had a few things they should cover before then.

He tickled the bottom of her good foot and got a half hearted kick for the effort, followed by a pillow thrown at his head.

"I'm awake," she grumbled again.

"Sorry, kiddo," said Dean, not looking the least bit contrite.

"Sure you are," she retorted with a yawn.

"Sammy grabbed us some breakfast. You need to eat your Wheaties if you're going to be ready to go one on one with the shrink ."

Laney frowned. She'd been dreading the interview. It didn't keep her from sleeping. Her experience the day before had left her exhausted. She was still feeling a bit of fatigue and her head wasn't quite clear.

"Did you dig up anything on Dr. Whitlock or Callie?" she asked Sam.

Dean offered his brother a glance of warning.

"Bobby's still looking into it," said Dean.

 _Yeah right_ , thought Laney. She knew he was lying. They were trying to keep her focused on the shrink.

"I'm not hungry."

"I don't remember asking," said Dean, plainly.

"I'm not hungry," she repeated.

"You need to eat, especially after you puked all over me last night."

Laney grimaced. She'd forgotten about that.

"Fine, what did you get me?"

"Waffles," said Sam, with a smile.

"What?" asked Dean.

"What?" asked Laney, innocently.

"You made a face."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

She sighed heavily. "I appreciate the effort Sammy, but I'm just not up for waffles." For whatever reason, it made her stomach turn.

Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother. _That's a first._

"It's okay," he said as he dug around in the plastic bag. "Blueberry muffin?"

She didn't really want that either, but decided not to be difficult about it. "Okay."

He handed it over to her and she immediately began picking at it. She did gulp down the carton of orange juice though.

Dean frowned as he noticed his sister not eating, but let it go.

"So, about the shrink," he started, "We've got the surveillance camera providing live feed to the laptop, so Sammy and I will be watching and listening to everything."

"Where are you guys going to be set up?"

"We found a quiet spot just around the corner. So no worries, we'll be close by if you need us."

"So what do I say to this guy?" asked Laney. They didn't exactly the kind of life that you could talk to just talk anyone about.

"I don't know, I guess he'll be asking you about your feelings and all that. Just be as honest as you can without you know – "

"Being honest," Laney interrupted.

Dean glared at her. Sam laughed.

"Yeah, well just answer his questions and leave out all the family business."

"Right, that'll be easy.

Dean noticed something in his sister's eyes. Embarrassment?

"What is it?" he asked.

"You guys are going to hear everything I'm saying. It makes me...uncomfortable."

Dean rolled his eyes. "We won't hold anything you say against you."

"I'm serious Dean."

"So am I. I mean just you know, talk to him, don't worry about what we think."

Laney nodded. "You asked for it," she said with a sheepish grin.

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An hour later, Laney found herself sitting in her wheelchair directly across from the CPS shrink; a middle aged man with graying hair and coke bottle glasses. He was hardly threatening looking, but to her he was the worst enemy she'd ever faced; someone who could very well separate her from her family – her life.

Dean had gone over where the camera was located and a code word for when it got to be too much or if something was off. She didn't plan to use it. She wanted to be strong and get through the interview, make her brothers proud, and most of all prove that Dean was the most suitable guardian for her.

"Okay Delaney, I'm just going to ask you questions about your life, childhood, hobbies, goals, and anything you want to talk about. Don't think of me as the enemy. My job is to listen to what you have to say."

"Fine, let's talk," said Laney, with a hint of defiance that she was sure Dean would appreciate.

"Okay, let's start with your parents."

Laney shut down immediately. Dean and Sam both could see on the video feed, in her eyes, the protective walls slammed down. And even though they wanted her to be as cooperative as possible, they completely understood.

"They're both dead. What's there to talk about? I thought this was all about whether or not my brother is a suitable guardian."

"We will get to your brother, but like I said, this is about you."

Laney sighed heavily. Dean frowned at his sister's weariness. This was going to be so much harder on her than they'd guessed.

"What do you want to know about my parents?"

"Tell me about your mother."

Sam felt Dean tense next to him. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Their mother was a topic they avoided as much as possible.

"Never knew her, she died when I was born," she answered bluntly. "Hard to miss what you never knew, don't you think?"

"Didn't your father and brothers talk to you about your mother?"

Laney nodded her head. "Not really. Just the basics. We don't talk about her."

"Why is that?"

"I guess it hurts them too much," she answered honestly. She never faulted her family for not speaking of her mother. She knew the basics and that was enough for the most part. And after her little memory of her mother's death, she completely understood and would never hold any ill will towards them.

"How do you feel about that?"

"About what?"

"About them not sharing their memories or talking about her."

"I understand it. Her death changed my brothers' lives forever. My father was never the same. If it hurts them to talk about her, then they don't have to, it's okay with me."

Dean smiled tightly. He wasn't surprised that she'd been protecting them from having to relive painful memories. But he had been feeling lately, that they had done the wrong thing not sharing memories of their mother with Laney. They had stolen something from her. Part of her legacy.

"You said your father was never the same. In what ways?"

"He was a mechanic, had a home, two sons, an adoring wife…she died and just like that," she said with the snap of her fingers, "It was gone. He was lost. I think in a lot of ways he died when she did. I mean, I didn't know my Dad before then obviously, but from what I've heard, he changed."

"How do you feel about that?"

Laney chewed on her lip for a moment. She had so many feelings it was hard to verbalize them.

"I guess I feel sorrow and regret that Sam and Dean lost both their parents that night."

"But I'm asking about you. How about your feelings? Do you feel sad for yourself?"

Laney looked at the shrink like he had two heads. What _about_ her feelings?

Dean found himself leaning towards the screen in anticipation of his sister's answer. A few minutes ago he wasn't so sure about the whole thing, but now he realized that he might be getting some valuable insight into his sister's state of mind.

Laney breathed out a frustrated sigh. Clearly the shrink wasn't going to let her off the hook. She thought about it for another long moment.

"I'm angry," she finally said.

"Why are you angry?"

"I'm angry that I never knew her and that she was taken away from me…taken away from my brothers and my father. I'm angry that I've never known a mother's love. I'm angry because I know I'm missing something big and no one can change that, no one can replace her."

"You know under your anger, I think I hear guilt. Do you feel guilty?"

 _Man, this guy is good,_ thought Dean. He exchanged a quick look with his brother before looking back to the screen.

Laney squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

"Maybe I do."

"Why?"

"I was born then she died."

"But your mother died in a fire. It was an accident. It wasn't your fault."

 _That's what you think buddy. But I know better._

Laney shrugged her shoulders.

"That's a heavy burden to carry."

Laney shrugged her shoulders again.

Sam felt a sharp twinge of sadness. He knew his sister's guilt, he understood it. It was a lot like the guilt he felt about Jessica's death, even though he knew it wasn't his fault. It didn't stop the guilt and he didn't think anything ever would.

"Do you think your family blamed you at all?"

"No…yes…well, not my brothers…they've never made me feel that it was my fault…but sometimes…" Laney's voice trailed off, she felt like she was already sharing too much.

"Sometimes what?" asked the shrink.

"Sometimes I think my father resented me," she answered, cringing at the high pitch in her voice that made her sound like a little girl.

Dean rubbed his hands through his hair, totally uncomfortable with the topic of their Dad.

"Why do you think that?"

"Uh, maybe because he left my brother to raise me. Maybe because I could see it in his eyes sometimes when he looked at me."

"Did he ever say anything to you?"

"Once, when he was drunk."

The second it left her mouth, she regretted it. She wasn't exactly painting a pretty family picture for the guy. It wasn't going to help her case.

"Did your father drink a lot?"

"My father is dead now, what does it matter?" demanded Laney. "He wasn't a saint and he made a lot of mistakes. But he was a good man!"

"You loved him?"

"Of course I did, what kind of question is that?!"

Dean was ready to storm into the room. He could see his sister was getting all riled up and he had some concern that with her new abilities there might be something she was capable of that they hadn't discovered.

"You obviously have a lot of anger towards him," said the shrink, in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes, I spent a lot of time very mad at him for making my brothers – especially Dean – grow up so fast. And I was angry because he kind of ignored me, and sometimes, yes, I – I hated him, but I've always loved him." said Laney, with difficulty. Her throat was growing tight as she tried to hold her tears back.

Dean and Sam both swallowed their own lumps.

"So you feel guilty about that?"

Laney nodded her head, sadly. "The last time I saw him alive, we'd been arguing, and I was angry. I felt hate for him. That's the last thing I felt for him, before he died."

"How do you think he felt about you?"

Laney sniffed and wiped at her tears. "I know he loved me. I know that. But I don't think he knew me and I don't think he really knew what to do with me."

"Is that why you went away to college?"

"It was his idea. I didn't want to go."

"Why not?"

"I wanted to stay with my brothers. Sam had just come back from college and we were a family again. I wanted to be with them. And I didn't feel ready."

"Were you afraid to be on your own for the first time?"

Laney thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I was. I've always been with them; we don't have other family, and very few friends. I didn't think I would fit in."

"How did you do?"

Laney felt better once they'd stopped talking about her father, so she was eager to answer the new questions.

"It was hard, especially at first, being around so many people I didn't know and staying in one place for so long. I was pretty lost actually. I cried myself to sleep at night in the beginning."

Dean frowned deeply. He never knew that. And it only served to make him feel even worse about her being shipped off. Even if he didn't realize what was going on at the time, he should have. It was his job.

"But it got better?"

"Eventually. Some of the classes were challenging and interesting and I met a lot of people that were big nerds like me," said Laney with a smile. "But there still wasn't a moment that I wouldn't have rather been back with my family."

"Is that why you left so suddenly?"

Laney's eyes shot up to the spot on the wall where she knew the camera was. This was dangerous ground and she had to tread carefully.

Sam and Dean both sat up straighter in their seats. Dean was ready to make some kind of excuse to crash the party if he had to.

After a long pause, she finally answered. "I – uh – I got kind of – depressed. You know, the coursework, missing my brothers, it got to be too much."

 _Oh and the emergence of my psychic gifts may have had something to do with it too._

"College can be a difficult transition for anyone and for someone as young as you, it can be even harder. Did you tell your father you weren't ready?"

"My father had made up his mind. It didn't really matter what I thought."

"So he was an authoritarian?"

"I think he thought he was doing what was best for me and I'd thank him for it later."

"Will you go back to school once you're recovered?"

"I don't know, maybe," she lied. She had no intention of ever going back. "My family needs me now."

"What about your future? What goals do you have? What do you want to do with your life?"

"Something with computers."

"Do you think about getting married or having children?"

"I don't plan to have children."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. They'd never had this conversation with their sister because having children meant their sister having sex, and they never wanted to think of her in that way. But never having children, that was sad to hear.

"Why not?"

"Too much evil in the world," Laney answered. She knew that first hand.

"But there's good in the world too."

"Not in my experience."

"You're pretty young still. You may change your thinking."

"I doubt it."

The shrink gave her a smile that said he knew better, but Laney ignored it. He didn't know a damn thing.

"Let's talk about your brothers."

Laney beamed. It was her favorite topic. She glanced up at the spot on the wall where the camera was and winked.

Dean and Sam couldn't stifle their own smiles.

"Okay."

"Tell me about Sam."

"I love him. He's awesome, he's smart, he has a good heart…he's sensitive, compassionate. He really cares about people."

"How is your relationship with him?"

"We're close. He was away at Stanford for three years, but that didn't change anything. We have a lot of the same interests and we both like to learn. I feel like I can tell him anything. He doesn't mind if I get emotional."

"Compared to Dean?"

"Dean's not as touchy-feely as Sam."

Dean elbowed his brother and laughed. "See, you're the pansy."

"Shut up jerk."

"Bitch."

"Tell me more about Dean."

"Dean is…," Laney shifted in her seat for a moment, looking for the right words. "He's my best friend, my big brother, my father, my teacher, my protector, all rolled up in one. He's made me feel loved and treasured my whole life. I owe him everything."

Dean had to fight tears. He knew how his sister felt about him. He saw it in everything she did, in the way she looked up to him and protected him, but to hear it this way, made his heart swell.

"That's a big pedestal you have him on."

"Well, he's earned it. He could have walked away years ago – left and did his own thing when he turned 18 – but he didn't. He stuck around and he's always been by my side. My father was distant and gone a lot and Sammy went away to college, but Dean, he's always been there. I know in a second he would die for me."

"I believe you," said the shrink. "From everything I've gathered about him from records and talking with hospital staff, I have no doubt how your brother feels about you."

"But?"

"Do you think you might have a bit too much of an attachment to your brothers?"

"How is that even possible?" Laney asked incredulously.

"You seemed to be completely focused on them. You don't have any significant relationships with anyone outside of them and you don't seem to function well in their absence."

"We've moved around a lot. I never had much of a chance to make friends, but I'm not bitter about it. I wouldn't change a thing."

"And that can be somewhat of a problem. It would be normal for you to be resentful or bitter about your upbringing being a bit unorthodox, but you don't seem to be."

"What are you getting at?"

"Maybe you're not being honest with me about your feelings."

"I'm answering your questions truthfully."

"What about the injuries that couldn't be explained? The lacerations and the cuts to your arms and legs and chest?"

Laney crossed her arms in front of her in defiance.

"I have no memory of what happened prior to the accident and I don't know how I got those cuts."

"Did your father ever hit you?"

If Laney could have gotten up from her chair, she would have. And then she would have punched the shrink square in the face.

Dean had to concentrate really hard on keeping himself in his own seat. His jaw was clenched so tight, he thought it might break.

"No, absolutely not."

"Your brothers."

"No, never. They've never raised a hand to me."

"So where did the cuts come from?"

"I really don't know. I have no idea," insisted Laney.

"The doctors say they were at few days old, before you came in from the accident."

"If I knew, I would tell you, but I have no clue."

"Have you ever cut yourself?"

Laney was so taken back by the question that she stuttered for a moment then shut her mouth. She had an idea where the shrink was going with this; maybe she should let him believe that was true. It would keep her from having to throw in the whole, I-was-tortured-by-a-demon-thing. She raised her eyes to where the camera was and raised an eyebrow, hoping they might catch on that she was about to tell a serious lie.

Laney sighed dramatically before answering. "Yes. I don't know why I did it, but I did."

Dean held his breath, hoping that her lie wasn't going to do damage in the long run.

"Cutting is a form of self-mutilation, it's a way for people to seek relief from the pain of strong emotions or intense pressure. It sounds like your father didn't allow you to express yourself much and it sounds like he made you go off to college even though you didn't want to. Cutting has probably served to give you some measure of control."

"I never did it before I went to school. It's just when I went off to college, my father, he didn't allow my brothers to stay in contact with me, he wanted me to learn to be on my own…and I lost my support system…I lost everything I knew…I didn't have anyone to talk to anymore. And then he was really angry when I came home. He wanted me to go back."

Laney realized with profound sadness how much of an asshole it sounded like her father was. She was sorry for the impression she was leaving on the shrink, but she knew it was necessary. Her father was a complicated man.

"Have you felt compelled to cut recently?"

"No, I haven't"

"That's good. But I think you could probably use some counseling to help you overcome those emotions and find healthier outlets."

Laney nodded. "I think that would be helpful."

"Good, very good."

Laney smiled brightly at him, hoping it looked sincere.

"How are you feeling now? I saw the neurologist's report that you've been having some difficulties with your memory. I know that you have a genius IQ. Top grades, near photographic memory. You were used to all that coming easily to you. How are you feeling about it now?"

Laney blinked a few times. She wasn't exactly prepared to discuss this current situation.

"Scared."

"Why?"

"Because I used to know exactly who I was and now I don't."

"You shouldn't let your genius define you."

"Easy for you to say, but I feel handicapped."

"You'll adjust. I know it seems like you won't, but you will. The human capacity for adaptation is unmatched in the animal kingdom."

"Maybe I will…but if you take me from my brothers I don't think I'll ever be okay," she said earnestly.

"We're not trying to take you away from them; my job is to do determine what's in your best interest."

"I'm 17, I would think that I know what's in my best interest."

"That's fair to say. But you've suffered some major injuries and while you've made what by all accounts is an incredible recovery, you still have a long road ahead of you."

"What are you implying? That my brothers aren't up to it?"

"It's a big undertaking, they won't be able to move around like usual. You'll need consistent therapy and stability if you're going to get better."

"They can handle it."

"I'm sure they say they can, but what of the reality?"

Laney's head dropped to her chest in near defeat.

Dean let out a long string of curses that made Sam's ears turn red.

"Delaney, in our short conversation I think I've picked up on some things you aren't saying. I'm worried that you believe you'll become a burden to them and that can do a lot of damage to your self-esteem."

"I have been thinking that," admitted Laney, "But I think that they need me as much as I need them and we'll make it work somehow. And we need to be together, we just lost our father."

"There is merit to what you are saying. Grieving is a long process and it helps to have the ones you love by your side."

"So are you saying you're not going to try and separate me from them?"

"I haven't made a determination yet. I still need to interview your brothers first."

Laney nodded sadly.

"Is there anything else you wanted to add?" he asked

"Just that the only place I want to be is with my family. We're not traditional and we're never going to be, but we love each other and would sacrifice anything for each other. I love them more than anything in the world."

"Ditto, kid," whispered Dean.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Laney waited in her room with Sam, while the CPS shrink interviewed Dean. The room was awkwardly tense. Laney was suddenly feeling embarrassed by her brothers bearing witness to her own interview. She wasn't much for sharing her feelings on a regular basis and so to have it laid all out for them to see made her uneasy to say the least, although with Sam, it was hard to feel that way, since he was an open book and easy to share with.

"Do you think I made a mistake?" she asked, looking up from her lap, which she'd been staring at for the last five minutes.

"A mistake?"

"You know, letting the shrink think that I cut myself up."

 _Oh that._ "I think you did great. I think if you hadn't given him something it would have been worse in the long run. He didn't seem like he was going to give up until he knew what happened to you."

"That's what I figured," agreed Laney. "It's just…I started to have some doubts, you know. I thought maybe he might think I need to go to the nuthouse for awhile."

Sam chuckled softly. "No, I think you made the right choice. Dean would agree too."

"I hope so."

"Don't worry so much. He's really proud of how you did. So am I." He reached over and squeezed her hand tightly in comfort.

"Thanks," said Laney, her cheeks tinged red.

"You do know that regardless of what that shrink thinks or the CPS people say, Dean isn't going to let anyone take you away right? Neither am I for that matter. You're not going anywhere," said Sam.

"I know…I guess it would be nice if we could do something legit for once."

Sam laughed loudly this time. "It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Laney smiled brightly and giggled. "Yeah I don't know what I'm thinking. I mean, we're Winchesters."

"And I'd be a little worried with Dean and that shrink in a room together alone," joked Sam.

"Oh no, he's not armed is he?" asked Laney, still giggling.

Sam reached over and pulled his sister into a hug. It was so good to hear her laughing and joking that he couldn't help himself. With all the craziness going on around them, he just wanted something that reminded him of home. This was it; his sister, alive and laughing and his brother fighting to keep them all together.

Laney clung to her brother. He was so warm and comforting. She had to stop herself from asking about the case they were working. She wanted to know if Bobby had heard anything about Gavin too. But she felt so comfortable and happy, that she didn't want to ruin the moment. The case wasn't going anywhere, her brothers weren't going anywhere, and neither was she.

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"I get the impression that you feel very threatened by me."

"No kidding, what gave you that idea?" snapped Dean. Five minutes into their interview and he was ready to bolt. He didn't hold much stock in psychiatry and he sure as hell wasn't going to take shit from some fifty-something douche with a couple of initials behind his name; especially when said douche was trying to break up his family.

"Maybe it's your hostile tone," answered the shrink, completely nonplussed. He didn't feel threatened. It didn't take him long from meeting the eldest Winchester to size him up; aggressive, street smart, anti-establishment and extremely loyal and protective of those he cared about.

"Well forgive me if I'm not exactly jumping for joy. You are after all trying to break up a family."

"I'm not doing anything of the sort. I'm just here to make sure that you're capable of being a guardian to your sister."

"I've been a guardian to my sister her whole life."

"So she's told me."

"Well there you go."

"How do you feel about that?"

"About what?"

"Having to raise your sister, having to be her guardian? You are a young man after all in the prime of your life. Wouldn't you rather be out with the guys, chasing girls, maybe even settling down? Isn't your sister holding you back?"

Dean glared at the shrink with real hate in his face.

"Are you for real? My sister isn't holding me back. That kid has kept me together all these years. If it wasn't for her I'm sure I'd have ended up dead or in prison or something. I don't have any regrets or anger about raising her. I love that kid more than I love myself." Dean took a deep breath. That was more than he'd ever shared with a perfect stranger.

"I believe you."

"So why did you just ask me that?"

"Curiosity…It's not often an older sibling, especially a male, takes up the task of raising a younger sibling without some measure of resentment about what could have been."

Dean thought for a moment. "I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about what my life would be like if I hadn't had her or my brother to take care of."

"So what have you thought about it?"

"Everything leads me back to the fact that I don't think I would have had a better life. Taking care of those two, it's in my bones. It's my purpose in life. It gets me up out of bed every day."

"But eventually they will grow up and have their own lives. Where does that leave you?"

Dean had to seriously restrain himself from laughing. The kind of lives they had, the whole Winchester family destiny, whatever that was, he knew that their lives would always be intertwined. Despite whatever wishes he had for his siblings to one day have families of their own or lives outside of hunting, day by day it was becoming more apparent that that simply was never going to happen for any of them.

"I'll adapt. It's what I do," answered Dean, simply.

"For what it's worth to you, I think you've done a fantastic job with Delaney. She's smart, intuitive, and very strong and I think she's really going to make something of herself."

"Thank you," said Dean, sincerely.

"That being said, I do have some concerns."

"Let's hear them," said Dean, crossing his arms across his chest.

"The trauma of her injuries, the death of your father, and the loss of your mother before she got to know her, all of these things will have a cumulative effect on her. There's only so much a person can take before such things become overwhelming."

 _Tell me about it._

"What are you saying?" asked Dean, impatiently.

"I'm saying that how you all handle these next few months is going to be very important. Your sister is at a critical stage in her development. She is going to need a lot of understanding and encouragement. I know that you may not like to talk about your feelings and neither does your sister, but it's important that you have an open dialogue with her. Don't let her clam up on you. It'll do a lot of emotional damage. Encourage her to grieve openly and share with you."

Dean nodded in understanding. He may only have a GED, but he wasn't stupid. There was so much more to what Laney was going through outside of what the shrink knew, like her psychic gifts, and yellow-eyes and some unknown destiny. She was facing more than anyone her age should.

"Wait a minute; you're talking like she's not going anywhere. Did you make a decision?"

The shrink nodded slowly and smiled. "I have no reason to believe that you wouldn't continue to make a suitable guardian for your sister. As a matter of fact, I think it would be detrimental to try and separate her from you and your brother. This decision comes with the understanding that you will make sure Delaney gets professional counseling to address her cutting issues though."

"Absolutely," said Dean, almost feeling weak with relief.

The shrink stood up and put out his hand. Dean took it and shook wholeheartedly. Maybe the old dude wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"I wish you and your family the best of luck."

"Thank you. Thanks a lot."

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Laney and Sam were sitting on her bed watching some ridiculous sitcom on the television when Dean bounded through the door. Laney immediately shut off the television and looked at her big brother expectantly.

"So, I guess you're stuck with me," said Dean with a sheepish grin.

"Really?"

"Really. The CPS guy said we're all good and he'll recommend the case is closed."

If Laney could have jumped off the bed she would have, instead she reached her arms out for her brother and hugged him with such intensity it actually hurt. He caught Sam's eye and shared a big smile with him.

"So that's one less thing to worry about," joked Dean.

Laney sat on the bed beaming her famous smile. She couldn't even find words, she was so happy.

Sam kissed her on the top of the head. "I'm going to go make a quick phone call to tell Bobby the news and then I'll grab some lunch. I know you must be starving."

"I am, thanks," said Laney.

When Sam was out of the room, Dean took a seat next to his sister and grabbed her hands.

"Didn't I tell you everything would be okay?"

Laney laughed. "Something like that."

"I'm your big brother and I'm always right. If you remember that, we'll always be okay."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the genius."

"Yeah, you are kid and I'm really proud of how you did today."

Laney immediately turned red. "Oh God, don't remind me. I'm so embarrassed."

"About what?"

"I don't know… that you had to hear all that."

"Don't be. I'm glad I did. I wish you would have shared what you were thinking with me."

Laney shot him an incredulous look.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm not the sharing type. But when it comes to you, I want to know what's going on inside that brain of yours. If you have something on your mind, especially as heavy as some of what I heard today, then you need to come to me and we can talk about it. Don't ever be afraid to tell me anything."

Laney swallowed the lump in her throat. "I just…you know…you do so much for me already."

"And I'm always going to no matter what. I may not have any answers for you. I may not say the right things to you, but I'm here for you. So promise me you'll come to me."

"I promise," whispered Laney.

"Good."

Dean pulled his sister into another tight hug. Knowing that no one was trying to take her away anymore made it all the more sweet.

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"So, now that we're back to the case, what did you find?" Laney asked.

With a full stomach she was ready to get the show on the road.

"I found an old newspaper article in the county archives about the fire," said Bobby. "It had a list of the victims and on that list was a Callie Prescott."

"Prescott, Prescott, Prescott," whispered Laney, "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Prescott Mental Health Center," said Bobby. "It's here on the hospital campus."

"Any relation to Callie?" asked Sam

Bobby nodded. "Apparently the Prescott's were a pretty well to do family in town. Callie was the oldest daughter of Emile and Ann Prescott. She lost her fiancée to a measles outbreak and went into a deep depression. This Dr. Whitlock was professing that he was a miracle worker and could cure her if they committed her to the asylum. They had a court declare her unfit to make her own decisions and stuck her with Whitlock. What they didn't know was that Whitlock had a reputation for harsh experiments in which many, if not most of the patients either didn't make it out alive or were turned into vegetables. When the Prescott's got word of his reputation they tried to pull her out and he refused. Eventually the family got the whole town involved and tried to shut down the asylum. It was believed that Whitlock burned the whole place down with him and his patients inside."

"Damn, psychotic much?" quipped Dean.

"That makes sense," said Laney. "When I saw what was happening to Callie, I didn't get the sense she was crazy in the least and this Whitlock guy just wanted a guinea pig for his sick experiments. He refused to let her go…said she was special to him."

"So he's keeping her from crossing over," said Sam.

"But how is he still here if everyone burned to a crisp?" asked Laney

"Something of his is keeping him tied to this place. It could be anything…a lock of hair, something that belonged to him," answered Dean.

"Did he have a residence in town?" asked Sam

"Nope, lived in the asylum," answered Bobby.

"Dude, that's hard core," said Dean.

Laney shook her head. "And you're sure that nothing survived the fire? Did they pull anything out?"

"I can't find any records indicating what they found, only that they buried the debris and poured the foundation for the new hospital right on top of it," said Bobby. "Sorry, darlin'."

"So it's possible that we can't do a thing about this guy," muttered Laney, more to herself than anyone else.

"I'll do some more digging," said Sam. "Maybe the hospital has some kind of records."

Laney smiled. She knew that her brothers wouldn't give up easily. Not only because they hated to leave a case unsolved, but because they knew it would make her happy to resolve it.

"In the meantime, you've got your first round of physical therapy today," said Dean, pointing at her.

Laney's forehead crinkled, "Since when?"

"I spoke to your doctors today and they think you're ready. If you do well with the therapy you'll be out of here in a couple of days," said Dean with a bright smile.

"A couple of days?"

"Yup."

Laney clapped her hands together. "Well this day just keeps getting better and better."

Dean laughed. She reminded him of when she was six years old and excited because he agreed to take her to Computer City to browse.

"Well, Sam and I will get to work," said Bobby with a smile.

"Okay see you guys later," said Laney. "Love you."

"Love you back shrimp," said Sam, tousling her hair as he walked by.

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An hour and a half later Laney returned to her room after her first physical therapy session more tired than she'd been in a long time and irritable as hell, much to Dean's amusement.

"They should call it torture, not therapy," moaned Laney. Dean had helped her into the bed and she hadn't moved an inch since. She was too tired to even raise a hand.

"It's going to be tough for a while kiddo, just hang in there."

"Easy for you to say."

"True. But remember, I'm always right."

"Ha."

The therapist had wasted no time in getting Laney out of her wheelchair and onto crutches. She wasn't allowed to put too much pressure on her broken arm, so it made for some awkward maneuvering. The brace on her leg was a lot heavier than it looked. She'd made it all of five feet before toppling forward and sprawling on the ground on all fours. The only saving grace was that her brothers hadn't been allowed to come along, so no one of importance had seen her eat dirt.

"I'm not ready for crutches yet. I was barely used to the wheelchair," complained Laney.

"The therapist said you have to work out all your muscles before they atrophy. The longer you sit in the wheelchair the harder it's going to be for you in the long run."

"Blah, blah, blah," said Laney.

Dean gave her a stern look and then turned away quickly to hide his smile. It was kind of funny when his sister was in such a foul mood. Personally, he preferred her pissed off instead of sad.

"You'll be out of here day after tomorrow and you'll feel better about the whole thing."

"Maybe," mumbled Laney. "Where are we going anyway?"

Dean took a seat on the bed next to his sister and began to massage her leg the way the therapist had taught him to.

Laney leaned her head back and sighed.

"We're going to Bobby's place," said Dean. "It's the safest place for you - for us, to lay low until you get better. The hospital helped me find a good rehab facility about an hour from Bobby's place. You'll have therapy three hours a day, three days a week in the beginning."

Laney's lips turned down into a pout. How was she going to survive that much therapy?

"How long do they expect me to be in therapy?"

"They say it's all up to you. Could be three months…could be a year. It's really about how hard you work."

"Well it sure as hell won't take a year. I would never do that to you and Sammy."

"What are you talking about?"

"Make you sit out hunting at Bobby's and wait for me to get better for that long? No way."

"You don't worry about me and Sammy. It takes as long as it takes. We're not going anywhere until you are all better. Do you understand me?"

Laney leaned forward and looked at the brother. "Yeah, I hear you."

"Good."

"You guys are going to be so bored."

"We'll find something to do."

Laney sat up again as a thought occurred to her. "Wait, who's paying for all this? We aren't exactly insured and unless you hit the lottery and didn't tell me..."

Dean smiled. "Well as it turns out, the trucking company that owned the truck that hit us had some trouble with the law not so long ago. They didn't want to go through their insurance company. Guess they were worried about their premiums, not to mention their reputation, and they settled with us on the down low. They are paying for the hospital and the rehab."

"Whoa, we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars I'm sure. Maybe millions in the long run."

"Yeah, well they've got the money. They just wanted to make sure their name stayed out of the press."

"Do you think they are doing something illegal?" asked Laney, with a raised eyebrow.

"Without a doubt."

"Huh, guess they deserved to get demon jacked," huffed Laney.

"I think so."

Laney leaned back against the bed, thinking about the accident, thinking about their father. She knew leaving the safety and structure of the hospital and going back to Bobby's was going to be hard. It meant dealing with a lot of things they'd been able to more or less put aside up to this point. But now, they were going to have to start dealing with everything they'd lost.

Dean studied his sister's faraway expression. He knew her gears were turning at full speed. She was probably thinking about what would happen when they got to Bobby's. He'd been thinking about it too. His days of being able to ignore the grief that had been knocking on his door were numbered.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Dean

"What I'm going to eat for dinner," said Laney, with a smile to hide the lie.

Dean returned the smile and the lie. "Yeah, me too."


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Only one more chapter to go to finish out Part One of The Winchester Three! Don't worry, Part Two will begin posting on Sunday and I will also post a one-shot on Sunday afternoon.**

Chapter 39

"I think we finally hit pay dirt," said Sam, bounding into Laney's room.

"She's asleep," shushed Dean.

"Sorry," whispered Sam, apologetically.

He sighed and leaned back in his seat. "She's so worn out I don't think it matters."

"Therapy that tough?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah and only going to get tougher."

"She can handle it," said Sam, firmly.

Dean smiled tightly and cleared his throat. "So what did you find wonder boy?"

"The hospital has its own historical society."

"Really?" asked Dean, with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well it's more of an informal group run by a bunch of senior volunteers, but they did a pretty good job of preserving artifacts."

"Artifacts?"

"Yup, particularly some old journals and a stethoscope belonging to one Dr. Abel Whitlock."

"No way."

Sam nodded and smiled. "Yup they were recovered from the fire and stored away for almost 100 years before they were discovered and are now on display in get this – the hospital's medical library."

"Are they secured?" asked Dean, already formulating a plan.

"Behind some glass, but no alarm system….we'd have to go in after closing."

"Well let's hope that everything belonging to that psycho doc is there and we can take care of this thing and move on."

"When do you want to do this?" asked Sam.

"Tonight – the sooner the better – but we'll wait for Laney to wake up."

"Sounds good."

"In the meantime, I'm going to go run a little recon on the library. Keep sleeping beauty here company," said Dean, smiling fondly at his sister.

"Alright, see you soon."

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Laney slept until early the next morning, extremely sore, tired, crabby, and totally not looking forward to her next physical therapy session. She barely had the energy to moan before she rolled on her side to face Sammy, who was stretched out in the chair next to her bed, his legs halfway across her.

"Sammy," she whispered, as she shook his leg. "Wakey, wakey."

Sam snorted and startled awake. Laney smiled brightly at him. He offered her a sleepy smile in return.

"Well good morning sunshine," he said as he yawned widely, glancing at his watch. It was four in the morning.

"Good morning to you. Where's the super dope?"

"He stayed at the hotel last night. He waited a while for you to wake up, but obviously you were pretty tired."

"Yeah, well if you had spent a couple of hours with Helga the Horrible, you'd be tired too."

"Your therapist's name is Helga?" laughed Sam.

"I know, funny isn't it?"

"It is."

Laney absently picked at the threads on her sheets. She'd been waiting to have a moment alone with Sam. "So…uh…did you ever talk to Bobby about checking up on…uh…Gavin for me?"

Sam bit back a smile at his sister's sudden turn of topic. She sounded so embarrassed to be asking.

"I did actually. He did a little digging, called around; even spoke to Gavin's mother. She said everything was fine and that Gavin came home and packed up some stuff and said he'd be out of town on a hunt for a while."

"So what about the family emergency?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Bobby said that no one seemed to know what he was talking about."

"So he lied," said Laney, dejected. "But why? Why lie? And then why go home and pack up his stuff and leave town without a word?"

"I don't know baby. He's called in to check on his mom, but other than that nobody has seen or heard from him since he split town," answered Sam, apologetically. He pushed his sister's hair back from her face.

"Something's not right Sammy."

"What makes you say that?"

"I just feel it in my bones, you know? The way he upped and left like he did and then to know he lied about it. And he hasn't answered any of my calls or e-mails. Nothing."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, it sounds a little fishy. But what can we do about it? Sounds like he doesn't want to be found."

Laney shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds like." She chewed on her bottom lip. Now the whole situation had her worried and upset. Maybe Gavin cut and run because he couldn't handle the Winchester drama. If that was the case then maybe she was better off not having any contact with him. Then again, why make up a lie about a family emergency and then leave his home all of a sudden. The second she got some alone time she was going to have to hit the information superhighway and see if she could track him down.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Sam.

"I'm worried," admitted Laney, "But he's a big boy and a good hunter. I'm sure he'll call if and when he wants to."

Sam studied his sister closely. She was telling him half the truth. She had a lot more on her mind than that. But unlike Dean, he would leave her alone about it. If she wanted to talk about it at some point then he'd be there for her.

"Just don't mention it to Dean," said Laney.

"You don't have to worry about that," said Sam with a smile.

"Worry about what?" asked Dean, suddenly appearing in the room as if out of thin air.

"About you butting in where you don't belong," said Laney with a smirk.

"Who me?" he asked, sarcastically.

"You're up early," said Sam. "It's still dark out."

Dean gave Sam a loaded look that did not escape Laney's notice. He eyes narrowed and she glanced between the two.

"Yeah, well…the – uh- medical library – doesn't open for a few more hours, and it's pretty quiet around the hospital. I thought we might take care of business."

"What did I miss?" asked Laney.

"Sammy got some info that paid off big."

"Do tell," said Laney, excitedly, the sleep suddenly gone from her eyes.

"You can fill her in while I go take care of a few things. I'll be back in fifteen," said Dean.

"Yeah, okay."

Laney watched Dean's back as he left the room. The second he was out the door she sat up straighter in bed and turned to Sam. "Tell me everything."

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"I'm going with you."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

Sam looked back and forth between his brother and sister. He was pretty sure any second Laney would start sticking her tongue out and stomping her feet up and down.

"Dean, I have to be there," insisted Laney.

"It's not safe. After what happened with that ghost possession or whatever the hell that was. The only way we can keep that from happening again is for you stay here where we have all the wards up. And this Whitlock dude, I'm sure he would have a field day with you if he shows up."

"Please, guys, if any spirits are going to show up, believe me, I'll be the first to know. It's a simple B&E."

"Simple…yeah right," said Dean, rolling his eyes. "And you and your wheelchair are real inconspicuous."

"Yeah, well it makes for a much better cover me being a patient if we all get caught, don't you think?"

"She has a point," said Sam.

"Shut it Samantha. I didn't ask you."

"Don't be mean to my favorite brother," snapped Laney.

"Oh, so he's your favorite brother now."

"Right now he is."

"Thanks baby."

"No problem, Sammy," she said with a smile.

"Children," said Dean, dryly.

Laney sighed heavily, "I hate to do this but if you don't let me come along, I'll just find another way to get there."

"You wouldn't," said Dean.

"Wouldn't I?"

"You're being a brat," snapped Dean.

"Yeah well my brain is broken, get used to it."

Dean raised an eyebrow at his sister. It was the first time she'd made a joke about her condition. If that wasn't progress he didn't know what was.

"Okay, fine," he relented. "But I want you armed…iron, salt, gun, the whole nine."

"No worries, I've got you two muscle heads by my side."

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"You sure there's no surveillance camera here?"

Dean shot his sister an incredulous look. "What kind of question is that? Of course I've got everything covered."

Laney put her hands up in mock surrender. "Sorry I asked."

Dean gently patted the top of her head as if she were a misbehaving puppy. "All you need to do is keep your eyes open and let me know if your spidey senses start tingling."

She shot him a dirty look.

"Let's just get this over with," chided Sam, impatiently.

Dean sighed and leaned forward to pick the lock to the back door of the medical library. "Keep your panties on Sasquatch."

Sam rolled his eyes. He handed his sister an iron rod, which she placed in her lap. Beside her was a container of rock salt at the ready.

"Like riding a bicycle," said Dean, as he unlocked the door with ease.

Dean took the lead with Laney wheeling herself behind him and Sam bringing up the rear.

"Where's the display case?" asked Laney

"Far west corner of the library, near the storage closet," answered Dean, keeping his eyes ahead and scanning the area for any signs of danger. "Picking up anything on the ghost radio? Make sure to check all the frequencies."

Laney shot her brother another dirty look, which would have been satisfying if she wasn't stuck staring at his leather clad back. "Coast is clear," she answered grudgingly, "So far."

They made their way to the display case, Dean putting down his bag and searching for the necessary tools.

"Whoa," said Laney, as she got a sudden head rush.

Dean immediately stood up at attention and looked back at his sister. "What is it?"

Sam took up position in front of his sister, which made her smile. Protective much.

"Those things definitely belong to the doctor," she answered, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. "I'm sensing all kinds of bad mojo."

"Okay, but is Casper the not so friendly ghost going to be paying us a visit?" asked Dean.

"Not that I can tell."

"That's reassuring."

"It's not a perfect science Dean."

"Hey I have an idea," Sam interjected. "How about we get this stuff and burn it and get the hell out of here?"

Laney pursed her lips. "Sorry Sammy."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

Dean pulled out a glass cutting tool and got to work on the display case. Sam kept one hand on his sister's shoulder and continued scanning the room for trouble.

Laney closed her eyes against the buzzing in her brain. It was different than what she felt when a ghost or demon was nearby. She was learning, rather quickly she thought, how to differentiate between the sensations. Dean's wasn't far off in his remark about ghost frequencies. It all did seem to operate on levels of frequency. The bigger the baddie the louder and higher pitched the buzz she got. What she was feeling coming off the items behind the glass was more like static electricity with a very low buzzing. She was thinking about ways she could fine tune her skills when she was overwhelmed with the now familiar sensation of a spirit in the vicinity. And not a nice one.

She reached out and tugged on Dean's jacket. "He's coming."

"Who? Where?" he demanded.

"I don't know where. I feel him, he's here!"

Sam and Dean both surrounded their sister, grabbing up their iron rods and rock salt.

"I don't see anything."

"He's here. He's waiting," said Laney, her voice quivering with fear. The buzzing in her head was overwhelming and more than that, it was thick with evil and malice. "Just break the glass, Dean, burn everything, quick."

Sam and Dean exchanged a quick look and a nod. Dean hit the glass with the crowbar. No time for finesse. It only took one hit for it to shatter. He quickly gathered up all the items in behind the display case, not bothering to check what was what.

Suddenly there was an otherworldly screech and the ghost of appeared. He charged towards Dean.

"Mine! That belongs to me!" he yelled.

Sam swung his shotgun up and fired at the ghost. He evaporated into thin air.

"He's still here. He'll be right back!" shouted Laney, desperate for the painful buzz to be gone.

"Light it up Dean!" yelled Sam.

"We can't do it here. Fire sprinklers, we'll set them off. We need to get outside. There's a rear exit, it leads to an alley!"

Sam nodded. "Let's go." He grabbed Laney's wheelchair handles and rushed towards the door, Dean following close behind.

"Mine! Mine! Mine!" yelled the ghost after he reappeared. He flung Dean into a far wall.

"Dean!" shouted Laney.

Sam threw himself in front of his sister and aimed his shotgun towards the ghost, but wasn't quick enough to get a shot off. Sam was sent flying. He ended up sprawled next to his brother.

Before the ghost could get to Laney she speared the doctor with her iron rod. It was enough for him to disappear although she knew it was temporary. She could still sense his presence. One glance at her brothers showed her they were still knocked out. Thinking quickly she grabbed up the doctor's belongings, a small can of fuel and the lighter; difficult with one casted arm, but not impossible, especially with the adrenaline rush of terror coursing through her. She wheeled herself quickly towards the exit door and had made it outside of the door when the ghost appeared again.

He approached her and was able to tip the wheelchair and send her falling into the grass. Despite the pain that shot through her body she quickly poured the fuel over the small pile and flicked the lighter. He was directly above her and sneered so evilly that Laney knew she would have nightmares for weeks. He was momentarily distracted when Sam and Dean came flying out the door shouting her name.

"Get away from her you son of a bitch!" yelled Dean, taking aim with his shotgun.

Before he could fire, the ghost howled and flamed out. It was over.

Sam reached his sister and lifted her up, holding on to her tightly. "Are you okay, baby?" his voice shaking. In a long line of recent terror inducing events, this had been at the top of the list. Coming back into consciousness, his sister nowhere in sight, with an evil spirit on the loose? Not a good wake up call.

"I'm okay Sammy," she whispered, breathlessly.

Dean practically snatched her from Sam's embrace to check her out for himself.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked gruffly.

"I'll be fine, I just need a –"

"What? What's wrong?" Dean asked when his sister abruptly cut off.

"It's another spirit," whispered Laney.

Dean cursed, handed his sister back to Sam and reached for his weapon.

"No, no, no," said Laney, "It's okay, it's okay."

Dean looked at her disbelievingly when suddenly the spirit of a young woman appeared in front of them.

Laney took in a shaky breath. _Callie._

The buzz she felt was light and pleasant. Seeing Callie for the first time in person and not in a vision was different and disconcerting.

Callie smiled brightly. "Thank you," she said softly.

Laney nodded at her. "You can go home now."

Callie looked behind her to see a bright light. She smiled again. She turned away to drift towards the light, but stopped just short. She turned back to Laney, the smile on her face, replaced with a look of concern and warning.

"Beware," she said earnestly, "There is darkness all around you."

With that Callie turned around and disappeared into the light.

The Winchesters stood in the dark alley, finally alone.

Laney looked at both of her brothers before looking back at the now empty alley. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

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The rest of Laney's day was too busy and chaotic for her to mull over Callie's words of warning. By the time they had returned to her room it was completely light out and doctors and nurses and other staff had been in and out getting her prepared for her discharge the next morning. The excitement had taken over and soon she had put the ominous warning out of her mind.

"If physical therapy is always going to be this hard I don't know how I'm going to do it."

"You made it through yesterday and you made it through today. Everyday you'll get stronger. Just try to remember the prize at the end."

"And what would that be?"

"Getting back on your feet, duh," said Dean.

Laney shook her head. "Oh right, that."

Dean sighed heavily at sat down on the bed next to her. "Are you sure you aren't pissed about the whole shrink thing?"

A few hours earlier Dean and Sam had let it slip that part of her rehabilitation included counseling with a psychologist. Dean's opinions about shrinks hadn't changed, but Sam had argued with him that it was a good idea for Laney to have someone neutral and objective to talk to. She was in for some serious adjustments and it was probably beyond their capabilities to make sure her mental health was taken care of along with her physical health. Dean relented in the end, because honestly, he wasn't crazy about having to deal with his sister's feelings on top of his own. He hadn't even begun to scratch the surface.

Laney shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not pissed, not really. It just makes me feel like…you know…damaged goods."

Dean smiled. "Sweetheart, we _are_ damaged goods. All of us Winchesters, that's no secret."

Laney offered a faint smile. But her face was still heavy with worry.

"What's really bothering you? Is this about what Callie said?"

"No, not really…even though we do need to talk about that at some point."

"So what's this about?"

"I'm worried about the future. How everything is going to work out."

"I hate to sound like one of those AA people, but seriously, we need to take it one day at a time. We can't plan ahead. One day a time. You'll go to therapy and you'll get better and we'll move on."

Laney nodded. "And yellow-eyes is still out there," she whispered softly.

"Yeah and as long as I'm breathing we'll keep looking for that bastard. The mission doesn't change. We're just on a bit of a hiatus for now, but it's temporary."

"I just need you to promise me something."

"Oh no," he said, sarcastically.

"Seriously," said Laney, slapping his knee.

"Okay shoot."

"You're not going to leave me behind."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when you start hunting for him, that you're not going to try and leave me behind."

Dean's hands balled into fists. It wasn't a promise he wanted to make. Everything in him screamed that the best way to keep her alive and safe was to keep her out of the fight. But he recognized the fact that she was part of it – a big part of it – regardless of what he wanted. And so far it seemed to him that she was better with him and Sammy then away and he couldn't imagine being away from her, where he couldn't protect her.

Dean looked her straight in the eyes. "I promise."

Laney nodded slowly. "Good enough for me."

"You should really get some rest, it' going to be a long drive to Bobby's."

"I can't believe I'm getting out of here after nearly a month. I'll be happy never to see the inside of a hospital again."

"I'll second that."

"What's Sammy up to?"

"He's picking up the rental car."

Laney nodded. It was going to be weird travelling in a car that wasn't the Impala. From what Sam had told her, the Impala looked beyond repair, but Dean had insisted he could fix it and in fact had already ordered several parts. She imagined that he was dying to get to work on his baby. She was glad that he would have something to do during the long wait for her to get better.

"I hope he's back soon."

"Why?"

"I'm tired, but I won't be able to sleep until he tucks me in," she smirked.

"I thought that was my job."

"You can tell me a bedtime story."

Dean laughed. "Dad strictly forbade me from telling you bedtime stories."

"Yeah, well they were a little too gory," she said, smiling fondly at the memory.

"But they were true."

"I didn't know that at the time."

Dean smiled sadly. "I wish you never had to know that."

"I wish none of us did."

Dean nodded and reached out for hand and squeezed. "Yeah, me too."


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: This is it! Final Chapter of part one of this story. The story continues with The Winchester Three Part 2: The Recovery. I will start posting that tomorrow along with new WeeLaney one-shot. Thank you to everyone who has faved, followed, and reviewed my stories. I really appreciate it. Every review I get makes me work that much harder!**

Chapter 40

"Thanks for picking these out for me. I know shopping for girl clothes is probably not high up on the list of things you enjoy."

"Yeah, well just be glad it wasn't Dean, God only knows what he would have picked out for you." said Sam.

Laney laughed, "Well, you did fine." She lifted up the lounge pants and matching hoodie and held it up to study. "I have to say, you have pretty good taste."

"Thanks. I have Jess to thank for that. All those hours I spent following her around the mall. I picked up a thing or two," he said with a wistful smile.

Laney smiled back, glad that Sam was able to talk about his murdered girlfriend without the stark grief that usually accompanied any mention of her name. She was glad he could still find the happy memories.

"When is Dean supposed to be here?" she asked.

"Twenty minutes or so… He's packing up and checking out of the motel."

Laney practically bounced for joy in her seat. "I can't believe I'm finally getting out of here."

"You'd better get dressed then, unless you plan on wearing your hospital gown out of here."

"Ugh…if I never see a hospital gown again it will still be too soon."

"I second that," said Sam. He had enough of hospitals and enough of watching his siblings suffering.

"Alright, give me a few minutes."

"You need a hand with anything."

"God no, I don't need to die of embarrassment. I have to practice anyway."

Laney wheeled herself into the bathroom and began the awkward task of getting herself dressed. She'd practiced with dressing a couple of times, but being extra sore from the physical therapy made it even harder to maneuver her very shaky limbs.

She smiled as she pulled off her hospital gown. Most of her clothes had been left back at school and Bobby's place. So Sam had gone out and shopped for her, bringing her back several outfits that would be easy to get in and out of on top of being extra comfortable; leave to him to think about those kinds of details.

This was it. She was really heading home. Well as close to home as she could be. There were a lot of things on her mind, especially Callie's ominous warning and Gavin's strange disappearance. But for the time being she was doing her best to put it all out of her mind and enjoy the fact that she was checking out of the hospital and was getting started on her recovery. All the other stuff could be dealt with later. That was the Winchester way.

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"An SUV huh?" asked Laney

"Yeah," said Dean with a sigh.

"I know it must be hard for you, but you'll get through this," she said, with exaggerated sympathy.

"Cute. Don't get used to it. I'll have the Impala up and running again in no time."

Laney smiled. "I'm sure you will."

Sam had told her he didn't think there was a chance in hell that Dean was going to be able to salvage the Impala. But they all knew how much he loved that car and no one was going to tell him otherwise.

"Almost ready to go," said Sam. He was helping one of the nurse's load the vehicle with her wheelchair and a set of crutches. The wheelchair was an unfortunate necessity for the next couple of weeks until she was able to get around on crutches and the cast on her arm was removed.

Laney nodded and looked around over her shoulder for what Dean noticed was probably the hundredth time since they'd left her room.

"What is it? You got a hot date or something?" he asked.

Laney frowned, "No, it's just… I was hoping to see Rachel before we left."

Dean smiled knowingly. "She'll be here in a minute or two."

"How do you know?" asked Laney in surprise.

"I called her and let her know you were going home today. It's her day off but she insisted we wait so she could see us off."

Laney smiled brightly. "Cool."

"Hey look," he said pointing across the parking lot, "Here she comes."

Laney waved as Rachel approached. Sam thanked the nurse and walked up to greet Rachel with a smile.

"Hi Rachel," said Laney.

"Hey sweetheart. Finally breaking out of this place huh?"

"Finally! Not that I didn't enjoy your company."

"Don't worry honey, it's always a good day for me when I see one of my patients go home, especially one of my favorites."

"We can't thank you enough," said Dean.

"No thanks necessary really," insisted Rachel. "It's my job."

"Well, all the same if you ever need anything just call us," said Sam.

"Yeah absolutely," said Dean, handing her a card with his cell number on it.

"Sure thing boys," she said with a smile. She gave them both a quick hug. "So, do you two mind if us girls have a moment alone?"

Dean paused a moment and glanced at his brother before responding. "Uh, sure we'll wait by the car."

Rachel smiled as they slowly made their way to the car, a mere fifteen feet away at most. "Protective aren't they?"

Laney laughed, "You have no idea."

"You're a lucky girl."

"Believe me, I know," said Laney, flashing a smile in her brothers' direction.

Rachel handed her a small gift wrapped box. "This is for you."

Laney shook her head. "You really shouldn't have. I should be getting you something after all you've done for us."

"You alive and breathing is enough for me."

Laney smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Open it."

Laney opened the box and took a sharp intake of breath. In the box was a thin silver chain with a pendant in an intricate design she'd never seen before. It was delicate and absolutely breathtaking.

"Wow, again, you really shouldn't have."

"It's no biggie. I made it myself…kind of a hobby of mine."

"This is just beautiful."

"Thanks," said Rachel.

Laney reached up and pulled Rachel into a warm embrace. "Thank you so much for everything."

Rachel put a warm hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Take care yourself okay."

"I will."

Rachel waved goodbye to Sam and Dean. "Take care of her boys," she called out, "She's special."

They both nodded and smiled.

"You ready to go squirt?" asked Dean.

Laney nodded eagerly. "Yeah, let's go home."

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Heavy rains had made the trip slower than Dean would have liked. They were only a couple of hours in and not making good time. And he was especially concerned with his sister and her stone silence. Unlike Sam who was sawing logs in the seat next to him.

"You feeling okay back there kiddo? Do we need to stop?" he asked.

Laney offered a half smile. "I'm fine," she answered softly, although she wasn't feeling fine at all. Her leg was a stiff and sore, certainly not painful. But still she felt out of sorts. Her heart had been racing since they'd pulled away from the hospital and she was uncomfortably hot. Add to that she was feeling dizzy and like she couldn't completely catch her breath. It didn't make any sense to her. But she didn't want to alarm her brothers. She knew if she said one word they'd make a beeline for the nearest hospital – no doubt they knew where it was – and she wasn't about to go back to a hospital.

Dean frowned. Something about her voice was off. He discreetly adjusted his rearview mirror so he could take a peek at her in the backseat. Luckily for him she was looking out the window. His frown deepened. He couldn't get a good look at her face, but he could see that she was gripping the car door like she was going to fall out at any second.

Dean adjusted his mirror back. "We'll stop at the next exit anyway. I've gotta take a leak."

"Yeah, okay," said Laney.

Ten minutes later Dean pulled off into a gas station. When the car rolled to a stop, he punched Sam in the shoulder. "Wake up, princess."

Sam startled awake and shot his brother a dirty look. "Jerk."

"Bitch."

Sam glanced at the dashboard clock. "We're stopping already."

Dean's nodded his head slightly towards the backseat, knowing that Sam would get the hint. "Yeah, I have to go to the little boy's room…might as well get some food for the road too."

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay. Uh, I'll top off the tank."

Sam watched Dean walk away before he got out of the car and walked around to the gas tank. He started the pump and then walked to Laney's door and opened it.

"Hey kiddo," he said.

"Hey," said Laney.

"You okay?" he asked as he studied her face. She seemed a bit pale and sweaty. He could understand why Dean had stopped.

"I'm okay. I think I could use a little fresh air though, maybe I'll go to the bathroom too."

"Sure," said Sam, "I'll get the wheelchair."

Laney sighed heavily. "Yeah, okay…Thanks." Sometimes she actually forgot about needing it.

Sam opened the trunk and pulled out the wheelchair. He helped his sister get settled.

"If you wait a minute I'll walk with you," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. But really she knew it was a way of keeping an eye on her.

"Yeah, sure." She wheeled herself around the other side of the SUV and to the edge of the gas station canopy, just out of reach of the rain. For the first time since the trip began she felt like she could take a deep breath.

"I'm ready," called out Sam.

Laney wheeled around. "Lead the way," she said with a smile.

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"So what's the matter with her?" asked Dean.

"I don't know, but something's up," said Sam. They were wandering around the convenience store while keeping a close eye on the Ladies restroom, waiting for their sister to emerge.

"She was hanging on to the car door for dear life," said Dean, tossing a bag of M&M's into the shopping basket Sam was holding.

"Weird."

"No kidding."

"Well we probably shouldn't push the issue. Maybe she's just nervous about…" Sam's voice trailed off as it occurred to him what was probably bothering his sister.

"What?" asked Dean. "Nervous about what?"

"It's her first time back in a car since the accident," said Sam.

Dean's eyebrows raised high. "Oh."

Sam nodded.

"You think like post-traumatic stress or something?" asked Dean.

"I don't know, but it makes sense."

"She mention anything about being afraid to be back in a car to you?"

"No, but maybe she didn't know it was going to be a problem until it became one," said Sam.

"Hey guys, what's up?" asked Laney, taking the boys by surprise. They hadn't noticed her approach.

"Just grabbing some munchies," said Sam. "You want anything."

"Yeah, let me browse a few minutes."

Dean nodded and watched her wheel around to the back of the store by the drink coolers.

"She's looks okay to me. Maybe we're making a big deal out of nothing," said Dean. Really, couldn't they catch a break just once.

"Yeah, maybe," said Sam, unconvinced.

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They'd been back on the road for less than an hour when Laney started to feel all wrong again. Early on she'd been okay, able to distract herself by indulging in a bag of chocolate kisses and meaningless conversation with Dean about his top ten favorite horror films. But the rain that had been falling lightly when they hit the road was now a full on torrential downpour. Even Dean, the original lead foot, had taken it easy on the gas and was driving under the speed limit and paying close attention to the road. It didn't help either, that the current stretch of road was an old two lane highway and the cars flying by them just seemed too close for comfort.

"Maybe we should pull off until the rain eases up," said Sam, who was scrutinizing the road just as closely as his brother.

"Nah, as long as I keep the speed down, we'll be okay. Besides not really any good place to pull over for at least another thirty miles."

Sam nodded.

Laney took a deep breath to try and calm herself. It occurred to her after they had stopped earlier and she'd felt immediately better, that was happening was all anxiety related. She'd read a book about it once, particularly post traumatic stress disorder. She'd been 11 and totally convinced that her father suffered from it. When she approached him about it he'd told her she was no longer allowed to read anything without his okay. Of course, all that did was convince her it was true and conspire with Sam to read whatever she wanted in secret.

 _Dad, I miss you._

A semi-truck whizzed by them, rattling the SUV, and setting Laney's teeth on edge. It was ridiculous; she didn't really remember the accident itself. She remembered seeing the glare of the approaching headlights and that was it. The next time she woke up, she was in the hospital, and her father was dead.

She took several more deep breaths. She tried reciting the Latin alphabet, then Greek, but it didn't help keep her mind off what was happening. She felt a flash of hot and cold through her body and heart began racing again. She shut her eyes tightly and leaned her head against the cool glass.

She heard the roar of another semi-truck passing by and that was it.

"Stop! Stop the car! Pull over Dean!"

"What? What's wrong?" asked Dean, startled by the sudden outburst, but already pulling to the side of the road, luckily underneath an overpass.

"Just stop!" yelled Laney, "I need to get out!"

Dean pulled the car to a stop. Laney flung the door open and scooted herself around so she was out of the door and leaning against the frame before he even had a chance to undo his seatbelt. Sam came up behind Dean.

"Laney, what the hell is wrong?!" asked Dean, pulling her close to him so she could lean on him for support.

Laney nodded her head, trying to get her breathing under control before she spoke, she was close to hyperventilating.

"The trucks…the rain…." Laney said, breathlessly.

Dean shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Dangerous," whispered Laney. "We could crash."

Sam gave Dean an I-told-you-so look.

"Sweetheart, it's okay," said Dean, rubbing her back. "It's alright."

Sam put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "It's okay baby. We're not going to crash."

"You can't guarantee that," said Laney.

"No, I can't… but what happened – the accident – that had to do with the demon."

"What if he tries again?" she asked. It was something she hadn't even considered until that moment.

"It's not going to happen again," insisted Dean.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I'm the oldest that's why."

Laney gave him a half smile. "That line of reasoning hasn't worked since I was five years old."

Dean smiled brightly. "It never really worked even then. You've always been too damn smart for your own good."

"The demon – he's going to try to get at us in all kinds of different ways. But if we stop doing the things we've always done, he wins. We can't be afraid. We just have to be prepared," said Sam.

Laney looked up at her sensitive brother and nodded. "You're right, Sammy. Deep down I know that. But my brain, it's kind of doing its own thing. I can't control it."

"Hey maybe that counselor you have to see will come in handy," said Dean. "I know you aren't hot on the idea, but I bet it will help."

"I hope so," admitted Laney. "This makes me feel so weak."

"You're not weak," insisted Dean.

"No you're not," said Sam. "You've been through a lot and you've done better than anyone expected. This is just a bump in the road."

"In a long ass line of bumps," sighed Laney.

Dean smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"I need to sit," said Laney. Balancing on one leg essentially had worn her out.

"Here," said Sam, picking her up and setting her up on the driver's seat – her legs facing out the door.

Dean leaned down in front of her. "What can we do to make this easier?"

"Do you have a transporter room handy? Sure you can't just beam me to Bobby's place?"

"You're such a nerd," said Dean, fondly.

Sam chuckled.

"Maybe if someone sits in the back with me that might help. We might need to stop more often. And this backwoods road isn't helping much."

Dean nodded. "Okay, Sammy can't sit in the back with you. We'll stop as much as you need and I'll find a different route."

Laney frowned but nodded. "Sorry to be such a pansy ass."

Dean looked at her seriously. "Don't worry, we only have room for one pansy ass in this family…and that's Sammy."

Laney laughed loudly. It was just the right thing to say.

Sam punched his brother in the shoulder and gave him a dirty look before turning to Laney and winking.

"You ready to go. Or do you need more time?" asked Dean.

"Let's get out of here."

Sam picked her up again and settled her in the backseat before scooting in next to her. She cuddled up next to him and buried her face in his side.

"Thank you," she said, her voice muffled.

Sam smiled. "Don't mention it."

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The rest of the trip to Bobby's was uneventful. Dean stopped often as promised and Sam helped keep Laney comforted and her mind otherwise occupied. During the final hours of the trip she was relaxed enough that she sat up front next to Dean. But it didn't diminish the profound relief she felt when Bobby's compound came into view.

"Home sweet home," said Dean, glancing over at his sister with a smile. "For a little while anyway," he added.

Laney nodded. "I'm happy to be here."

As they parked the car, Bobby came out from his porch smiling widely. Laney couldn't help but smile back. It was good to see the old guy, and even better that it was on his turf and not in the damn hospital. She also felt an immediate sense of comfort and ease being there.

Her smile faded when she noticed an addition to the front porch.

"Is that a wheelchair ramp?" asked Laney, pointing.

Sam and Dean exchanged glances in the rearview mirror.

"Uh – yeah," said Sam, "Bobby got the whole place wheelchair accessible."

"He didn't have to do that. It's only temporary."

"We know kiddo, we just thought it would make things easier and you get could get around without having to depend on someone else," placated Dean.

Laney sighed, but nodded. It was actually a pretty damn good idea and thoughtful too.

"I appreciate that," she said.

"We thought you would," said Sam.

He helped her out of the car and into the wheelchair. Bobby walked over and gave her a light hug.

"It's okay Bobby, I won't break," she said, squeezing him extra hard.

"Hey darlin', glad to have you home."

"I'm happy to be back," said Laney, "And thanks for doing all this," she added, pointing at the ramp.

Bobby blushed slightly. "No big thing."

Dean pulled their bags out of the trunk. "Well, I hate to break up this reunion, but I need a shower in the worst possible way."

"No kidding," smirked Sam. "You smell worse than that time we had the run in with that Wendigo and you took a manure bath."

Laney laughed loudly. "Okay, that's a story I haven't heard yet."

Dean shot Sam a dirty look. "If I remember correctly, you were right there in the manure pile with me."

"Yeah, but I still smelled like roses afterwards."

"More like a bum's ass," said Dean.

"You would know," laughed Sam.

Laney couldn't help chuckling. It was clear that being back at Bobby's had already lightened everyone's spirits.

"Are you idjits finished?" asked Bobby.

Dean smiled contritely. "Yeah, I think we're good."

"Good, go wash up. I've got dinner for y'all."

"Tell me you've got beer and I'll shower triple time," said Dean.

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Dean and Sam took up both bathrooms showering, while Laney explored the house in her wheelchair. Bobby really had gone out of his way to make it user friendly for her. He'd arranged all the furniture to allow her easy access in and out of the rooms. Someone was still going to have to carry her up and down the stairs from the second floor rooms, but she didn't do much up there but sleep anyway.

"Make yourself comfortable sweetheart. I'm going to get these steaks going," said Bobby.

"Sounds good. I think I'm going to go outside and get some fresh air, I've been cooped up for so long."

Bobby looked uncertain.

"It's okay, Bobby, I promise to stay close to the house. I'll just be out back."

Bobby nodded. There really wasn't a safer place for her to be; besides he could see the whole salvage yard from the first floor windows so he'd be able to keep a close eye on her anyway.

"Yeah, okay. Don't be gone too long; dinner will be ready soon."

"Okay."

Laney rolled herself out on to the back porch and down the ramp. She took in a deep breath of moisture laden air, enjoying the peace and quiet for once, aside from the comforting sounds of Bobby tooling around the kitchen,

She rolled herself around the perimeter of the house staring up at the stars coming out in the early evening sky. She was so thankful to be alive. Grateful to have her brothers with her. Missing her father.

She turned a corner and came to a sudden stop.

"Oh my God," she whispered to herself.

 _The Impala._

There underneath the overhang of the work shed was the wrecked Impala. It was the first time she had seen it and even Sam's detailed description of what had happened to it didn't do it justice. The entire frame was bent at an odd angle and the side of impact was crushed so far inwards, that it was like an accordion. How she ever survived that was beyond her. How her father had lived for awhile was a miracle in itself.

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"Where's the brain trust?" asked Dean, bounding down the stairs and into Sam, his hair also damp from his shower.

"She's outside," Bobby called out from the kitchen.

Dean gave him a slightly disapproving look.

"Don't look at me like that boy. She's right outside the house, just pick a window and take a look. She's safer here than anywhere else."

Dean grimaced and nodded before systematically checking all the windows for a peek at his sister, Sam checking the opposite side.

"Found her," said Sam.

Dean's eyes narrowed and approached Sam quickly. Something about the tone of his voice set his alarm bells ringing.

Sam pointed her out.

"Oh," said Dean. His little sister had wheeled herself right up to what was left of his Impala. He'd seen pictures, but seeing it in front of him was different.

"Should we go out there?" asked Sam.

Dean thought for a moment. "No, let's give her a few minutes."

Sam nodded, but neither one of the moved from their spots.

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Laney wheeled herself closer to the car. She reached out one hand hesitantly to touch the door frame, as if it was going to bite her. She tried to open the door, but it was jammed. She scooted up in her seat and was able to peek inside. It had been pretty much cleaned out, no doubt, by Sam, but there was broken glass still littering the backseat and her heart lurched in her chest when she saw the dried blood stains in the passenger seat. She knew it must have been her father's.

She sat there staring at it for a few minutes, as if something were going to materialize in front of her. As if thinking about her father hard enough sitting in that seat the last time she saw him alive was going to make him appear to her. It was the closest she felt to him since the accident. And she'd been so angry at him. She'd hated him. Did he know that she also loved him?

Laney felt the tears that she'd been repressing go. Once she let the dam break, the tears flowed like a river. Everything was different now. He was never going to come back this time. She and her brothers were for all intents and purposes, orphans. And they still had a demon on their asses that wanted them dead for reasons they hadn't learned of. She had gifts that she had no idea what to make of. Nothing would ever be the same again. All of them were broken in different ways and she wasn't sure if they would be whole again.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there crying for, but the sky had grown dark. She would have sat there forever, she was sure of it, until she heard soft footsteps behind her and then comforting and familiar hands on her shoulders.

"It's okay, baby, I'm going to fix it up like new," said Dean. He knew what was happening to her at the moment had nothing to do with the car really, but it still seemed like the right thing to say.

Sam stood next to her and grabbed her free hand and squeezed. "If anyone can, it's Dean."

Laney nodded. That was true, about so many things. With Dean and Sam by her side, she was sure there wasn't anything they couldn't do.

"I know," she said, sniffling. She ran a hand across her face to wipe away the tears. "Come on," she said looking back at Dean, "We've got work to do."

Dean smiled brightly at her, with a nod; he grabbed the handles of her wheelchair and began pushing her back towards the house, back towards comfort, back towards the future. Sam never let go of her hand.

 **A/N: And that concludes Part One. Part 2: The Recovery will begin posting Sunday. Make sure you follow me as an author so you don't miss it!**


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